


The Mummy

by thoughtlessblogger



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, But I can't think of any, I feel like there should be more tags, I had the chance and I took it, In a way, Librarian Louis, M/M, Minor Character Death, The Mummy-AU, it's basically the mummy with one direction stuck in there, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform, let's pretend harry could fight like rick does, no one major though, there's a Niall/Nile joke, there's actually a lot of that, this is all Niall's fault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 09:25:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1893825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtlessblogger/pseuds/thoughtlessblogger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis glares up at him. "Your manners scare me, Harold."</p><p>Harry smirks. "Still angry that I kissed you?" Why did he mention that? He wants Louis to like him.</p><p>Louis glares harder. "If that's what you call a kiss." Then a small smile comes across his face, but disappears when Harry opens his bag to reveal his guns, knives, and dynamite. "Did I miss something? Are we fighting someone?"</p><p>Harry grabs a gun to start cleaning it while he thinks about how much he's willing to reveal to Louis. "Last time I was there, people died." Harry involuntarily shuddered. "There's evil out there Louis."</p><p>or</p><p>A Mummy AU in which Harry is Rick, Louis is Evy, Niall is Jonathan, Zayn is Ardeth, and Liam had to be added.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching The Mummy, which is one of my favorite movies, a few weeks back and I could not stop thinking about how Niall would make a good Jonathan. Inevitably, that got me thinking about a Larry fic. I was distressed to see that no one had written a Mummy AU, so I did it myself. I've never written anything like this before, so I hope it's okay.  
> I'd like to take the time to mention that I am not a historian or an ancient Egyptian expert. None of the characters are my own and I did borrow some things (Plot, characters and a couple of my favorite lines) from the movie. I am American, so I apologize for any language discrepancies that there might be.  
> I do have the whole thing written and it's four chapters. Barring any unforeseen circumstances I should have the whole thing posted within the week. I'm just making some last minute changes and edits to chapter four.  
> Also, I'd like to thank my best friend, Lindsay, for editing this for me even though she is not a fan of The Mummy or One Direction. It's been a long road and she's been a trooper, so thank you!  
> My tumblr is thoughtlessblogger in case anyone wants to follow me.  
> Thanks and I hope you enjoy.

_Cairo, Egypt, 1926 ___

"Seti the First volume one." Louis puts the book back on the shelf where it belongs with volumes two and three. Grabbing the next book in the pile he sees that it isn't supposed to be there. "Tuthmosis? How did you get in this pile?" Louis looks around for the shelf where the book belongs only to find it was right across from the one he was currently at. He sighed. It wasn't that far away. Maybe he could just stretch across and set the book over there. "Right, I'll just...." Reasoning with himself that it would save him time in the long run he sets the other books down and grabs a hold of the top step of the ladder and starts to reach across. 

____

Just as the book touches the shelf the ladder raises off the shelf it had been leaning on causing Louis to drop the book and grab a hold of the top of the ladder with both hands. After wobbling for a few seconds he seemed to have gotten the ladder stabilized, but he was also stuck. He knows that as soon as he starts to climb down the ladder will fall. "Some help would be nice," he whispers hoping someone might be in the room.

____

He lets out a sigh while shaking his head. This would be his luck. Stuck on a ladder with no way of getting down until it falls. "This is fantastic." Just as he says that the ladder starts to wobble and in Louis's attempts to stop it he's sent falling into the shelf knocking it over.

____

He can't see anything because he's face first in books, but he can hear the loud bangs as shelf by shelf falls to the ground and books flying everywhere. Louis staggers to his feet in time to see the last two shelves fall over. "Oops." 

____

"What, I, I, what?" Louis turns to see the curator coming in, tripping over books. He looks furious. This is going to take forever to clean up and who knows if anything is broken. "What in the name of the pharaohs happened? Look at this!" He's gesturing wildly while coming to stand right in front of Louis. "Give me frogs, flies, locusts, anything but this! Compared to you the other plagues were a joy!"

____

Louis leans his head down in guilt. "Sorry. It was an accident."

____

Dr. Bey sighs. "No. When Ramesses destroyed Syria, that was an accident. You are a catastrophe!" He shouts the last part causing Louis to look back up. "Why do I put up with you?"

____

Louis knows this is his fault and if he were Dr. Bey he'd be pissed right now too, but he doesn't like being yelled at and it really was an accident. No need to question employing him. "You put up with me because I can read and write ancient Egyptian, decipher hieroglyphs and hieratic, and I'm the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalog this library. That's why."

____

Dr. Bey scoffs. "No, I put up with you because your parents were our finest patrons. I don't care how you do it or how long it takes you, clean this up." With that he turns around and storms out.

____

Louis can only stare in disbelief. How was he supposed to do this by his self? It would take hours, probably an entire day and he was actually supposed to be off work in thirty minutes. He walks to the far right of the room thinking that would be the best place to start. Just as he bends over to start grabbing books he hears a loud thump. He spins around to look in the direction of the noise. "Hello?" Another loud thump has Louis taking his glasses off, sitting them on a table as he walks towards the direction of the sound.

____

The sound is coming from the gallery that holds treasures from the Middle Kingdom, which is odd Louis thinks. Nobody is supposed to be in there. Louis enters the room stopping in the doorway. "Hello? Who's here?" There was no response. Louis can't see that well. The only light is coming from the flickering torches at either end of the gallery. It gives off an eerie vibe, always does, which is why Louis always makes an excuse for someone to come in here with him although he'll never admit it to anyone. 

____

Just as he's given up and is about to leave he hears the noise again coming from somewhere near the middle of the room. Deciding that he can't have anything else bad happen today and he needs to deal with this, he grabs a torch and starts to walk slowly through the room. All he's seeing is cases full of artifacts and sarcophagi. Nothing looks abnormal, except one of the sarcophagi is open. It grabbed his attention because it's not supposed to be.

____

Louis swallows hard and nervously approaches the sarcophagus. When he reaches it he slowly leans forward to peer inside when a hideous, rotten, screeching mummy comes flying out at him. "Holy shit!" Louis jumps backward knocking into a bench and just as he's about to run away he hears laughing coming from the sarcophagus. It sounds suspiciously like an Irishman and Louis wants to kill him.

____

"Haha! I got you so good!" Niall's blonde head appears with a grin plastered to his face.

____

"You fucking idiot! You scared the hell out of me!" Louis finds a place to set the torch and walks forward to help Niall who is trying to climb out of the sarcophagus. "Why are you always climbing in those things? Do you want to join the dead or something?"

____

Niall lets out a laugh as he sets his feet on the ground. "Sometimes I do, mate."

____

"Well, I wish you'd do it sooner rather than later so you don't ruin my career, too." Louis goes over to the bench to sit. "After all I have just made a huge mess in there. Surprised I didn't get fired on the spot, actually."

____

Niall looks bemused. "I'll have you know Louis, my career is on a high note. Actually, I have something for you." He turns around and starts shuffling through the sarcophagus. "Aha." He grabs a hold of a bag and comes to sit next to Louis. "Please please please tell me I've found something good." He pulls out a small ancient looking box from the bag and hands it to Louis.

____

Louis grabs it and starts turning it over in his hands. There are hieroglyphs covering the whole thing but it's too dark in the gallery for him to make them out, but he can see a small little knob on the side. Furrowing his eyebrows and biting his lower lip, he puts his finger on the knob and pushes in. The box unfolds into a sort of star shape and Louis can see that there is a piece of folded up papyrus in it. "Niall," Louis takes out the papyrus and unfolds it, "I think you found something."

____

Niall leans in closer. "What is that?"

____

"Mate, this is a map."

____

*

____

"I'm pretty sure that cartouche is the official royal seal of Seti the First." Louis comes to stand behind Dr. Bey's desk.

____

"Maybe." Louis noticed when he first brought the map in that he looked skeptical and maybe a bit nervous. Now he's not willing to say much at all and that's making Louis anxious.

____

Niall comes over to stand beside Louis. "Two questions. Who in the hell was Seti the First? And was he rich?"

____

Louis smirks. "He was the last Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom and supposedly the wealthiest Pharaoh ever."

____

Niall smiles so wide Louis's sure that his face will break. "Good. I like this guy. Very much."

____

Louis chooses to ignore Niall. The wealth of Seti isn't the best part and he's dying to share it. "I've already dated it. It's about four thousand years old and if I've deciphered this correctly right there," Louis leans over to point to the far left of the map "is Hamunaptra."

____

Dr. Bey scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. We're not treasure hunters. Besides Hamunaptra is a myth."

____

Niall straightens up and comes to stand in front of Louis. "Wait. Are we talking about-."

____

"Yes. The City of the Dead." Louis's sure his smile matches Niall's now, but he's also sure it's for different reasons.

____

"The hidden wealth of Egypt." Niall claps his hands together. "There's a big underground chamber. Full of treasure. Everybody knows the story. The entire place is rigged to sink into the sand if the Pharaoh commanded it. Just a flick of the switch and it'd disappear into the dunes."

____

Dr. Bey has been examining the map the whole time, tilting is towards the candle on his desk to get more light, because for some reason the man refuses to add more torches on the wall. Or open a window. Either would be good for Louis. "Well, as the Americans would say: it's all fairy tales and hokum." Louis opens his mouth to answer, but is interrupted by the sound of something catching on fire. "Oh dear lord!"

____

Louis whips his head around to see Dr. Bey throwing a burning map onto the floor. Niall quickly rushes over, drops to his knees and puts the fire out. He stands up with the map in his hands. "You burnt it. You burnt the part with the lost city." He's looking at Dr. Bey with anger and disappointment. "I can't believe it."

____

Dr. Bey doesn't look concerned at all. "For the best. Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pursuit." He takes his glasses off and sits them on the table. "No one's found it and most never return."

____

Niall continues to stare at him with a look of devastation. "You killed my map."

____

Louis knows how he feels, but unlike Niall it's not because of the treasure. He knows all the stories and he knows it's been impossible to find, but he had hoped he'd be the one to find it one day. Especially since the Book of the Living is said to be buried out there and it's something he has always been interested in. Louis just hopes that he can find a way to salvage this map.

____

*

____

Louis can't believe he's in Cairo prison right now. Never in his entire life had he thought he'd be here. Leave it to Niall. After finishing with Dr. Bey yesterday Niall had stayed around to help Louis clean up the mess in the Library. They had been talking about how any chance of finding Hamunaptra was lost now that the map had been burnt. Being curious Louis had asked Niall where he got it. Niall had sputtered and said in a dig in Thebes. And Niall had said he'd take Louis to where he found the box. Louis, of course, had been expecting a nice little trip to a dig site. Instead he's in a prison. With Niall. Being led by the warden to a holding pen. 

____

"You told me you got this in Thebes!"

____

Niall laughs nervously. "I was, uh, mistaken."

____

"So you lied to me."

____

"I lie to everyone. What makes you so special?"

____

"I'm your best mate!"

____

"Yeah, well that just makes you more gullible, doesn't it?."

____

Louis rolls his eyes. "So you stole it from a drunk in a pub?"

____

"Well, picked his pocket actually. You know, I'm not sure this is a good idea. Maybe we should leave." Niall grabs a hold of Louis's arm and starts to turn him around to leave.

____

"Ah!" The warden got their attention. "Here we are." He's pointing to an empty pen in front of them.

____

"Uh, Warden could you tell me why this man is in prison?" Probably murder with Louis's luck.

____

"I did not know, so I asked when I heard you were coming. Said he was looking for a good time."

____

Before Louis can respond to ask what that meant the interior door of the pen is being thrown open and two guards are wrestling a man into it. The man is in chains and looks like he hasn't had a decent shower in months. His hair is past his shoulder and severely knotted. His face, as well as his clothes, is covered in dirt and Louis can smell him from where he stands. He's pretty sure he's never been this disgusted by a human before.

____

Louis's just watching the man and sees the exact moment he notices Louis and Niall standing there. His face goes from confusion to anger to something that Louis can't decipher. "Who're you?"

____

Niall speaks up walking closer to the pen. "I'm Niall." He gestures back towards Louis. "And this is my mate, Louis. And you are?"

____

Before anyone has a chance to speak again there is yelling from the other side of the prison. The warden looks as though he's about to kill someone. "I'll be back," he mutters and walks off yelling incoherently.

____

Louis steps closer to the pen coming to stand by Niall. "Who are you?" 

____

The man just smiles at Louis. It's a big toothy grin and it's making him nervous. "Styles." Niall snorts and he turns his attention to him. "Don't I know you?" Oh god. The guy remembers Niall from the pub. This is going to end badly for Louis.

____

Niall shakes his head and walks closer. "Nah, just got one of those faces, mate." 

____

Styles gives Niall a smile that makes Louis think that he knows exactly why Niall looks familiar. It also makes Louis think about what this guy would look like when cleaned up. This was a nice smile. And they are there for a reason, not for Louis to lust over possible murderers.

____

"Right. Why're you here?"

____

Niall takes another step forward so he's as close to the pen as possible. "We've come to ask you about your puzzle books."

____

Styles immediately stops smiling. "No."

____

"No?"

____

"You've come to ask me about Hamunaptra and I'm saying no."

____

That's interesting. The guy knew what was in the box. He knew why they were there. And, wait, did he say no? But also, how did he know the box had something to do with Hamunaptra? It looked like it hadn't been opened in, well thousands of years. "How'd you know the box pertained to Hamunaptra?"

____

"That's where I was when I found it," he says matter-of-factly.

____

Louis is dumbstruck. How could that be true? The guy must be lying. Louis turns to look at Niall who is eyeing Styles suspiciously. "How do we know you aren't lying to us?"

____

Louis sees the exact moment Styles makes up his mind, but he doesn't have a chance to say anything before Styles is throwing his arm through the bars of the pen, punching Niall right in the face. Niall falls to the ground groaning while the two guards beat Styles with their batons. When the guards stop beating him Louis steps over Niall, not bothering to check on him because he'll be fine and truth be told he deserved that, and walks over to stand right in front of the pen. "You were actually at Hamunaptra?"

____

"I just hit your friend," is all the response Louis gets.

____

Louis shrugs. "I know him. Prick probably deserved it." 

____

Styles smiles again, but it's gone as quickly as it came. "Yeah, I was there."

____

"You swear?"

____

"Every damn day."

____

Louis sighs. He's the one that's supposed to be making this hard not Styles. "That's not what I-".

____

"I know what you meant. I was there. Seti's place. City of the Dead."

____

Louis leans in closer to the pen. "How do I know you're not lying to me?"

____

"I was there," Styles says in a way that makes Louis know that he's not going to debate with him about it. "Look, I was serving with the French Foreign Legion. We found the place and all that was there was sand and blood."

____

Louis notices the distraught look that crosses Styles's face just for a second. "Could you tell me how to get there?"

____

Styles looks confused. "Really?"

____

Louis can hear the warden coming closer and leans in closer to Styles. "Seriously. Will you tell me?"

____

"Really want to know?"

____

"Yes."

____

Styles motions for Louis to come closer and when he's as close as he can get, Styles sticks his arms out and grabs a hold of Louis's face and kisses him. It's rough and completely unpleasant and over as soon as it starts because the guards grab a hold of Styles and are pulling him away. "Get me the hell out of here." Styles yells as he's pulled through the door.

____

Louis is stunned. He's just staring at the empty pen trying to figure out what the hell just happened when the warden comes over.

____

"Guess he had a good time."

____

Louis turns to look at him. "What do you mean?"

____

"They're going to hang him."

____

*

____

Louis's following the warden to the courtyard where they hang prisoners trying to come up with a way to save Styles's life. So far he has no idea. It's not that Louis makes it a habit to save prisoners from death so, of course, he doesn't have a plan, but Styles is his only way to Hamunaptra and he has to come up with something. Fast. This is literally a life or death situation. Luckily, Louis has always been good under pressure. For the most part.

____

He's followed the warden to a balcony and he can see the gallows where a guard is tying a rope around Styles's neck. There has to be hundreds of prisoners bunched up around the place to watch, all yelling things that he can't make out. Louis feels sick to his stomach.

____

He sits down next to the warden. "I'll give you one hundred pounds to spare this man's life."

____

The warden scoffs. "I would pay two hundred to see him hang."

____

"Three hundred."

____

The warden ignores him and signals for the hangman to hit the lever. He pulls it and the trapdoor falls away sending Styles falling through the whole. The rope stretches as far as it will go and then jerks taught causing Style's body to snap at the end of the rope. 

____

"Aha!" The warden shouts. "His neck did not break. Now we must watch him strangle."

____

That's good thinks Louis. Not that he's watching a man strangle to death, but this buys him some time. "I'll give you five hundred pounds."

____

The warden looks over at him and smiles. "No deal."

____

Louis is feeling desperate. He needs Styles alive and with each second he gets closer and closer to death. "He knows the location of Hamunaptra."

____

The warden stills and looks at him with disbelieving eyes. "You lie."

____

"I never lie." Which is a lie, but this guy doesn't need to know that.

____

The warden gestures to Styles. "You're saying that this criminal knows where to find Hamunaptra?"

____

Louis doesn't want to do this, but he has no choice. "Yes and if you cut him down we'll give you ten percent."

____

"Fifty."

____

"Twenty."

____

"Forty."

____

Why doesn't this guy understand that if they keep this up Styles will die and this conversation would be rendered pointless? "Twenty-five percent."

____

The warden hesitates a moment before responding. "Deal." Then he turns to the hangman and yells for him to cut Styles down. 

____

Louis watches as the rope is cut and Styles falls to the ground, still alive. Thank God. All Louis really wants to do is jump up and down in victory, but he decides that now isn't the time so he just stands up and smiles as he watches Styles look up at him with a look of gratitude before a guard is picking him up and walking him away.

____

*

____

"Are you really sure this is a good idea Louis?" Niall is sitting in a chair across from Louis and for the last hour he's been trying to convince him that allowing this Styles guy to take them to the middle of the desert is a bad idea and they'll probably die. It probably is, but what's life without a little adventure?

____

"We saved his life Niall. I don't think he's going to kill us."

____

Niall rubs at the bruise that's starting to form on his left jaw. "No. You saved his life. I stole from him. He may not kill you, but he'll definitely kill me."

____

"I highly doubt he'll do that Niall." Louis leans back in his chair. "Besides we've promised him a cut of whatever we find."

____

"Yes, but Louis, I think you're forgetting that once we get there he could kill us and take off with the whole thing."

____

"And I think you're forgetting that we are using him as a map because he's been there before. We haven't."

____

Niall opens and closes his mouth a couple of times. "Right, well...so? We were his get out of jail card."

____

"That means nothing, Niall. Besides I'm not sure he actually wants to go." Niall raises an eyebrow. "He didn't seem too keen on it. Actually insisted that we were wasting our time." It's true. While Niall had been recovering from the punch, which Louis thinks wasn't really that bad and Niall's just a baby, Louis had been trying to sort out the details. Styles was not that cooperative. 

____

Niall still looks skeptical. "Still don't trust him."

____

They've been arguing about this since they left the prison and Louis is done. He wanted to be done hours ago. "What time does the boat leave tomorrow?"

____

Niall sighs. "Ten. Look, all I'm saying is I think we need someone else to go with us."

____

"Is that why you bought four tickets?"

____

Niall's face reddens. "Yes. I'm bringing Payne along with us."

____

Louis sits up at that. "Oh. I love Payne. Why him though?"

____

"He can kick ass and he knows just as much as I do about ancient Egypt." Niall says it as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.

____

"Just as much as you?" Louis asks while narrowing his eyes.

____

"Well, yeah. I mean, he might actually know more than I do." 

____

Louis laughs. "That's what I thought."

____

"Not to mention he's a good fucking traveler. Real good outdoorsman." Niall stands up and turns towards the door. "I just hope this doesn't end up being the biggest mistake of my life."

____

Me too Louis thinks. Me too. And if it is, he'll just blame everything on Niall.

____

*

____

It doesn't matter how long Louis has been living in Egypt or how many times he's seen the pyramids in Giza, he will always be amazed by them. Giza Port, not so much. Him and Niall have been waiting for twenty minutes for Liam to show up and Louis is becoming increasingly more annoyed. To be fair to Liam though, Niall had gotten them there twenty minutes early, but still. Louis hates waiting. And when he says as much Niall only laughs in response which pisses Louis off more.

____

"I could throw you over board once we get on the boat, you know. I won't feel bad about it."

____

Before Niall can respond a group of explorers rudely push past him and walk towards a boat. The same boat that Louis will be on later. Fantastic. That group had been causing a ruckus earlier. Well, maybe not, but they're American and extremely loud and rude. And it annoyed the hell out of Louis. On second thought he may throw himself overboard.

____

"Lads! There you are!" 

____

Louis looks away from the group of Americans to see Liam standing in front of him. "Payno, about time you got here. We've been harassed by fifty hawkers." Louis isn't exaggerating. Fifty hawkers came up to them trying to get them to buy toy tombs and King Tut action figures. They're hard to deal with. "How's it going?"

____

Liam grins and jerks his thumb towards the boat. "About to be a lot better once we get going. Three days on the Nile. This is going to be great."

____

Niall looks anxious. "Not so sure about that mate."

____

Liam in turn looks confused. "What do you mean?" Suddenly his face lights up. "Oh! You mean the criminal? I'm sure it'll be fine. After all you saved his life."

____

"Actually that was me." Louis pipes up. "Niall stole off of him. He's afraid he's going to get murdered in his sleep."

____

Liam does not look surprised. "Of course he did." Liam looks towards the boat. "I'm going to go get settled in. You staying here to wait for the guy?" Niall and Louis nod. "Right, well, see you in a bit. And make sure you introduce me." Liam adds a tiny wave and turns towards the boat.

____

Once Liam is gone Louis turns to Niall, who's grinning so wide his face looks like it's about to break. “What?”

____

“My name is Niall.” Is all he offers up. 

____

“Yes, Niall I do know that.” He needs new friends. His current ones are certifiable.

____

“No Louis, you don't get it. I'm Niall,” he gestures to himself. “And that,” he gestures to the river, “is the Nile.” Did he think Louis would think this is funny? Louis only stares at Niall, who's still grinning. “Niall's gonna be on the Nile.”

____

Oh wow. “First, don't refer to yourself in third person. Second, you're an idiot. Third, stop grinning.” He doesn't. “Fourth, are you drunk already?”

____

Niall's smile falters. “No, I just thought that, you know. It's funny.”

____

Louis shakes his head. “Not really mate.” And they fall into silence for a minute. "Do you really think he'll show?" He doesn't think it's an unreasonable question. The guy was in prison after all and not too happy to be doing this.

____

Niall lets out an unsteady laugh. "If I'm lucky he won't, but yes he will. I know guys like him. His word is his word."

____

Louis scoffs. "Personally I think he's filthy, rude and a complete scoundrel. I don't like him at all." And it has nothing to do with the kiss, Louis wants to add, but doesn't because he knows what Niall would say and he doesn't want to deal with that. Besides, it's bad enough that it's all he's been able to think about. He even dreamt about it last night. He'll never admit it though.

____

"Anyone I know?"

____

Niall and Louis both whip around to look in the direction of the voice. Louis was expecting to see the man that he saw in the prison, but what he's seeing is a completely different person. A very attractive person. It's Styles, but he's been properly showered and his hair has been cut. It's still long, but no longer past his shoulders and Louis can see that it's a lot more curly than it looked before. He's also got some sort of green scarf pulling it back causing some loose curls to frame his face. The sleeves on his button-up are rolled up to his elbows and Louis can see tattoos. He wonders how many he actually has and the meaning behind them. He's smiling widely and his green eyes are sparkling and Louis thinks he might choke on his own spit. Styles is very attractive. It's unfair, really, and Louis has to spend God knows how long with him. And he's finding himself wanting to kiss him, which will not happen.

____

"Oh...um, hello." Real smooth Louis.

____

Niall at least has the decency to say a complete sentence. "Amazing day for the start of a trip isn't it Styles?"

____

Styles's smile falters. "Harry. Call me Harry."

____

Niall's eyebrows furrow. "Your name is Harry? Short for Harold?"

____

Harry's smile is back. "No, it's not. Just Harry."

____

Right, attractive Harry. Louis wants to die. "Look, Harold, can you look me in the eye and guarantee me that this wasn't just your way of getting out of dying because I swear if it was I'm warning you-."

____

Harry steps closer to him and looks him right in the eye. And of course he's taller. "Look I already told you. I've been there. My whole damn garrison marched there without orders and all we found was sand and blood and everybody died." He backs up and looks at the boat. "I'll take your bags." And without giving Louis a chance to respond, Harry bends down and grabs his bags and starts walking down the boardwalk.

____

"Yes, yes, you're right, filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel, nothing to like there at all." 

____

Louis stops watching Harry and turns to look at Niall who's wearing a knowing grin. "Shut up."

____

Niall starts laughing and they both start walking down the boardwalk. When they reach the gangplank a man appears out of nowhere blocking their way. Louis looks up to see that it's the prison warden.

____

"Good morning." He tips his hat that looks like its seen better days and smiles.

____

"What are you doing here?"

____

"Protecting my investment." And with that he turns and walks up the gangplank leaving Niall and Louis to stare at each other in displeasure.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lack of Zayn this chapter, but he does make an appearance in the next one.
> 
> Again, I hope to have chapter two up in the next day or so.  
> Thanks!


	2. Hamunaptra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is twice as long as the first. It's also in Harry's POV, except for one scene where it's Louis's. Also, Zayn is in this chapter a little. He'll be in the next a lot more.

Harry wants to die. Only not really because he almost died two days ago and that was not pleasant at all, but he's seriously rethinking all his life choices up to this point. He's been on this boat for eleven hours and Louis is still treating him like shit. Niall is still acting like he expects Harry to kill everyone. He might kill Niall if he doesn't stop making “Niall is on the Nile” jokes. They are not funny. And Liam, who seems to be a nice guy, is trying to act like he wasn't bothered by Harry's questionable past, but he's not a good actor. He gets it, he really does. He was in prison, blah blah blah, but Louis still saved his life even if it was for this shit trip. And the thing is, Harry really doesn't want to go back, but agreeing to go was the only reason he's still alive.

The last time Harry was in Hamunaptra he watched all his friends die, almost died himself and saw some really weird shit that cannot be explained at all. And there's a part of him that wanted to skip out on the whole thing and go back to England, but he didn't. Mostly he thinks it's because he promised that he'd take these people and he never breaks his promises, but he knows that deep down there's a part of him that is tired of the constant drinking and stealing his way through life that he's been doing since he got to Cairo a year ago. And this part of him wants adventure and is apparently willing to go back to a place that has caused Harry numerous sleepless nights. 

And also he's attracted to Louis, but he's trying to ignore that. Not to mention that he's very curious as to why this trip is so important to him. He had found out that Liam was tagging along because he likes traveling and according to Louis, Niall wanted Liam here because he was skilled in fighting and was only there to protect him from Harry. Harry had laughed at that and had assured Niall that he was not the one to be afraid of. Niall on the other hand had told Harry that he was coming because he wanted the treasure, which Liam agreed was one of his reasons, and because Louis had practically begged him. Louis had denied that. Harry believes Niall. But, Louis hadn't been too interested in sharing with him why he was doing this. And Harry was really interested in that.

Harry's going to do this and he's going to try to not let it bother him that Louis seems convinced that he's a terrible person, because why does Louis's opinion matter more than anyone else's? It shouldn't. And maybe over the last few hours Harry had come to realize that his first impression of Louis was wrong. He's not that pretentious and annoying. He's actually very smart and funny, which is something Harry likes a lot. But he's really only known him for a day and sure the guy saved his life, but it was because it benefited him. Harry really doesn't want to do this. 

Sighing and ending his thoughts that don't really make sense to him, he takes one last drink and picks up his rucksack and sets off in search of someone that he knows. After a few minutes of searching he finds Niall, who is sitting and playing poker with the three Americans he had met earlier. Of course Niall made friends with them. Niall seems to like everyone, with Harry being the exception. Although, they had made a bit of progress. When he's standing by the table he clears his throat.

Niall looks up from the cards in his hand. "Ah, Styles sit down. We need another player."

Harry shakes his head. "Only gamble with my life." Which isn't a lie exactly. Harry's been known to play poker occasionally, but only when he was drunk, which he's not. He also doesn't want to spend time with these Americans. They're obnoxious, which seems to be the only thing him and Louis can agree on.

"Never?" One of the Americans asks. His name might be Henderson. "What if we bet you that we get to Hamunaptra before you?"

Taken aback Harry asks, "Who says that's where we're going?" All three of them point at Niall. Yeah, Harry is going to kill him. A little secrecy never hurt anyone. "Hm. Don't really want to take your money."

"You're cocky aren't you?" Burns- Harry remembers his name- says.

Harry raises an eyebrow. "Why are you?"

The third guy, whose name Harry doesn't remember at all, just smiles and says, "We've got a guy who's been there."

Oh, that's interesting. This also changes things. Harry looks at Niall who is wearing the same look of perplexity that Harry's sure he's got. 

"That's a bit of a coincidence because we-." Harry hits Niall in the back with his rucksack, hoping he passed it off as an accident. He doesn't need or want these guys knowing he's been there before. Thankfully, Niall got the message. "Uh, whose deal is it?"

"See you lads around." Harry turns and starts walking down the side of the ship.

Who in the world is leading the Americans? If all the stories Harry had heard were true, not many people have returned from Hamunaptra and none of them are willing to go back, which he understands completely. He figures the Americans are getting swindled or they've found somebody just as crazy as Harry, which is a little concerning.

He's so entranced by his thoughts he almost walks past Louis who's sitting at a table reading a book wearing glasses, which okay yeah. He looks good in the moonlight. Looks good in the sunlight too. And Harry really needs to stop that. He can't afford to get involved with the people that are paying him. That is a very bad idea. And Louis hates him.

Harry throws his bag on the table making Louis jump and let out a startled gasp. "Sorry."

Louis glares up at him. "Your manners scare me, Harold."

Harry smirks. "Still angry that I kissed you?" Why did he mention that? He wants Louis to like him, that's not going to do it.

Louis glares harder. "If that's what you call a kiss." Then a small smile comes across his face, but disappears when Harry opens his bag to reveal his guns, knives, and dynamite. "Did I miss something? Are we fighting someone?"

Harry grabs a gun to start cleaning it while he thinks about how much he's willing to reveal to Louis. "Last time I was there, people died." Harry involuntarily shuddered. "There's evil out there Louis."

Harry can see Louis roll his eyes. "Oh please. The place is not cursed." That's not exactly what Harry was referring to, but he's not going to correct Louis. 

"Do you have a gun?" Harry asks.

Louis looks affronted. "Of course I have a gun." His face evens out. "I'm actually hoping to find a book. Niall just wants treasure."

Harry snorts. "Doesn't surprise me. And Liam?" He knows the answer and he knows Louis knows he knows, but for whatever reason Louis seems to be keen on repeating this conversation.

"In it for the adventure. And the treasure doesn't hurt."

Harry laughs. "Again, not surprised." He looks up to find Louis watching him with a small smile playing at his lips. He thought maybe he was going to get an explanation out of Louis if they redid this without the other two. He might have been wrong. He mentioned a book, but what book? "The curse story doesn't bother you?"

"No it doesn't. I don't believe in fairytales, Styles. I'm just going because I want to find one of the most famous books in history- The Book of the Living." Harry can see Louis's face light up, which is just a tiny bit arousing and something he could live without. "It's actually why I'm in Egypt. Always wanted to find it. It's supposed to have stories of ancient Egypt. Secrets and all that. Very interesting find I think."

It worked. Harry knows. Sort of. "So, the fact that it's supposedly made out of pure gold doesn't affect you at all?"

Harry can tell that Louis is surprised at him. "You know your history."

Harry smiles. "I know my treasure."

Louis rolls his eyes again. "No wonder you and Niall are starting to get along. Bonding over treasure." Louis shakes his head. "You said before that-."

Harry looks up because Louis has cut himself off. He looks like he's trying to find the right words. "I said before that?"

Louis's noise wrinkles. "It's just that you were so adamant about not doing this. Why?"

Harry does not want to have this conversation. Ever. "Don't want to talk about it."

Harry's surprised that Louis isn't putting up a fight. He seems like the type to do that, but it's fine with Harry if Louis doesn't want to press. They fall into a comfortable silence, the only sound coming from where Harry is cleaning his gun. "Just out of curiosity, why did you kiss me?"

Harry shrugs. "Dunno. Seemed like a good idea. I was about to die."

"Oh." Harry looks up to see Louis give him an annoyed expression before standing up and stalking off. 

Why did he say that? While it was sort of the truth, the biggest part of it was that he thought Louis was attractive. Would Louis have preferred that answer? Should he have been honest? Surely not. There is no way Louis would find that flattering. Harry hears snickering coming from behind him and turns to see Beni. 

Beni looks surprised that Harry noticed him. Harry gets up, grabbing a gun and grabbing a hold of Beni by the collar of his shirt, pointing the gun at his head. This guy left Harry to die and there is nothing more he wants than to get revenge. But Harry is a little surprised to see Beni. He had kind of assumed that Beni had been killed. But this is making everything start to make sense.

"My friend! What a surprise!" Beni doesn't seemed phased by the gun pointed at him.

"You're the one leading the Americans, aren't you? Gonna leave them in the desert to die?"

Beni smiles. "Unfortunately no. They're not paying me until we get back to port." Maybe they're smarter than they look. Harry lowers his gun and lets go of Beni. "You always said Hamunaptra was a waste of time. Why're you going back?" Once Harry's quiet Beni's smile grows. "It's the guy you were sitting with, isn't it?"

Harry narrows his eyes. "He saved my life." That's all he's willing to give Beni, but he thinks Beni can tell anyway.

Beni's face evens out. "Fucking him then?"

And that's it. That's all he's going to take. Although, admittedly it's not that much, but Harry's still pissed that Beni left him in Hamunaptra. Beni's not a good guy and Harry should have done something a long time ago. Harry grabs a hold of Beni and throws him overboard. Beni starts screaming about how he's going to get him back, while a few people stop to laugh at him. Good, Harry thinks, they know he's a dick too.

Harry turns around to grab his rucksack and sees three sets of wet footprints coming from the side of the boat. He trails the footsteps with his eyes to the door that leads inside the boat, where the cabins are. That's not right. Something is up and Harry has a feeling they need to get off this boat. He hurriedly puts his stuff in the bag and takes off in search of Louis.

*

When Harry gets to Louis's room he sees that the door is open and he can hear struggling coming from inside. When he steps in he sees Louis holding a candle backing away from a man dressed in black robes, who is covered in tattoos, and holding his eye. The guy is stumbling forward swinging his hand all over the place and Harry notices he has a hook in the place of an actual hand.

Harry doesn't hesitate before walking into the room and punching Hook in the face. Hook tumbles over just as the window is flying open. When Harry turns in that direction he sees another black robed man pointing a gun at Louis. Again Harry doesn't hesitate. He lifts his gun and fires three shots, all hitting the man in the chest causing him to fall away from the window.

Harry turns to Louis and is glad to see he isn't injured, but he does look quite frightened and a twinge annoyed. "Friends of yours?" Not Harry's best attempt to lighten the mood, but it seems to do the trick because Louis smiles and is about to say something when Hook starts moaning. Harry throws his bag at Louis. "Hold this." Then he takes Louis's free hand and leads them out into the hall. "Follow me." He lets go of Louis and starts making his way down the hall. "Stay close."

"Wait!" Harry turns to see Louis stopped in the middle of the hall. "We forgot the map."

Just as Louis turns to go back, Harry grabs his arm again and starts pulling him down the hall. "Relax. I'm the map. It's all in my head."

Louis snorts. "Oh well that's comforting, isn't it?" Louis stops struggling so Harry lets go of him and they quicken their pace. Harry's glad to know Louis can still make jokes in a crisis. Another good quality. Or maybe it's a defense mechanism. At this point, Harry doesn't care.

They step out onto the main deck of the boat to see flames and people running about screaming. As they're about to start towards the side of the boat a gunman appears out of nowhere and starts firing at them. Louis ducks down and hides behind Harry's rucksack. 

Harry raises his gun and starts firing. Neither of them are coming close to hitting the other. The fire is getting bigger and Harry can hear more gunfire than theirs. He spares a glance to his right and sees Niall coming running out onto the deck being chased by Hook and then Liam comes out from behind a pole and starts firing at the guy with his own gun. He, then, looks to his left and sees the group of Americans enjoying themselves while exchanging gunfire with more black robed men.

There's a loud explosion and, suddenly, there's even more fire and people start jumping overboard. The man gets distracted by it so Harry fires one last shot that hits him right in the chest. Harry looks over to where Louis is now standing. "Can you swim?" Louis nods. "Good." They both run over to the side of the boat and jump over.

*

Harry's wet and covered in sand and on a riverbank in the middle of the night. Not exactly how he was expecting this day to go.

"I just, we lost," Harry looks over to where Louis is standing staring at the burning boat. He's just as wet as everyone else and somehow covered in more sand than anyone, but Harry still thinks he must be the most attractive man in the universe. And Harry needs to stop with thoughts like this. "We lost everything. My clothes. My tools. The map! Almost lost my glasses." 

"I told you, I'm the map." Everyone turns to look at him. Niall, Liam, and the warden look almost as distressed as Louis. "Well, I've been there before, haven't I?"

Louis doesn't say anything else and everyone else is exchanging looks that Harry can't make out in the dark. Thankfully, Liam speaks up.

"Look, there's a Bedouin trading post not too far from here." He points down the river. "We can stop there, get clothes, tools, food and whatever other supplies we might need. Plus we can get camels."

Liam smiles widely at the thought of camels. Harry hasn't known him for longer than a day, but he likes Liam and how easily excited he is, which is making this whole ordeal a little easier to deal with.

"Right. Let's start walking." Harry grabs his rucksack and before he can start walking he looks over at Niall, who looks like he's on the verge of tears. “You alright?”

Niall blinks a couple of times before gesturing to his clothes. “I have sand in them.” His face scrunches up and Harry's not sure what's happening. “The Nile doesn't like Niall very much.”

Harry can't resist laughing. Niall looks so distraught and there might actually be a tear or two. When he finally stops laughing, Harry asks, “Are you drunk?”

Niall just turns and takes off down the riverbank, not answering. He's definitely drunk. Harry sighs and Harry follows.

"Who were those men?" Harry hears the warden ask.

The answers all seem to be variations of "I don't know" and then they fall into silence. They seem to be safe for now, but Harry has this feeling that somebody doesn't want them stepping foot in Hamunaptra. And he's not going to be able to relax.

*

After stopping at the trading post and getting everything they needed, the five of them were on their way to Hamunaptra again. Harry wishes he could say that he missed the desert, but he doesn't. It's outrageously hot and the camels stink and the warden smells almost as bad.

"I never have liked camels." Niall speaks up from Harry's right. "They bite, stink and spit."

Harry can see Liam on Niall's other side. He looks personally offended. "Oh, I think they're wonderful creatures." He leans forward to pet his on the head. "Just because they don't like you...."

Harry stops listening because Louis has just steered his camel over to walk beside him. "Hey." Harry smiles over at him, but stops. He can't help but notice that Louis seems bothered by something. "You alright?"

Louis's quiet for a minute before answering. "The guy with the hook. He wanted the map. And he mentioned a key."

Harry furrows his eyebrows. "A key?"

"Yeah, not sure what he meant by key. I don't have one." They're both quiet because Harry doesn't have anything to say and he's wondering if he should mention the group of horsemen he saw off in the distance last night. "I don't think those people want us to go to Hamunaptra."

"Probably not,” is all Harry says. For now he thinks it's okay to not tell the others about the horsemen. He doesn't want them to panic. He doesn't want them to decide to give up. He doesn't want Louis to give up because for some reason that bothers Harry a little more than the horsemen.

*

They're on their second day of camel travel, as Liam has been calling it. Except it's night and up until a minute ago he thought he was the only one awake. Harry can hear Louis trying to get his camel to catch up with him. Harry slows his down.

"Thank you," Louis says as he gets even with Harry. "I'm bored as fuck back there."

"You should sleep."

"Shouldn't you?"

Harry laughs a little. "Yeah, I suppose I should, but you'd get us lost."

For a second he thinks he's offended Louis until he laughs. "You're right. I probably would." Louis shifts on his camel so that he's facing Harry a little more. "So, you know that Beni guy?"

So they are going to have this conversation then. He had kind of hoped they'd get out of it. "I served in the Legion with him."

Harry can see Louis's face scrunch up. "Really? Doesn't seem the type."

"He's not, but according to him it was either that or prison. Never really would give me the specifics." Harry had been close to finding out once, but then they were shot at and the conversation had promptly ended. "He was actually in Hamunaptra with me." Might as well mention it. He'll probably find out sooner or later.

"That explains why he's leading the Americans." Louis goes silent for minute and Harry wishes he knew what he was thinking. "You don't like him?"

Harry can't help but snort. "Not liking him is an understatement."

"That bad?"

"You've no idea." He contemplates not saying anything else about it, but it's not like they have anything else to talk about. "He left me to die out there."

Even in the dark Harry can see Louis's eyes widen. "What?"

Harry shrugs. "Yeah, we were, uh, about to have a bit of a fight with about two thousand Tuareg horsemen and Beni took off. Before Beni took off the Colonel had run, leaving me in charge. We were no match for the Tuaregs; everyone was dying. We were being pushed further and further back into the city. These guys were on horses and I was on foot. About ten of them started chasing after me. Ran into Beni, who was no help and took off again. I was, um, I was trapped, facing certain death and a guy I thought was my friend left me." He trails off, thinking Louis stopped listening a while ago.

"How'd you get out?" Harry's surprised. He actually thought Louis had fallen asleep. "I mean, if it was as bad as you say, how'd you get out of there alive?"

Harry's quiet for a minute, contemplating how he's going to answer this without sounding crazy. "Something scared off the Tuareg. And don't try to understand this because even I don't and I was there. It started with the horses going mad. Throwing the riders off. They were obviously afraid of something. Then the Tuareg took off. I was standing there, you know, stunned and then suddenly, the sand began to move. It was almost like the sand was drawing something. I didn't stay to see what it was." He turns to look at Louis. His expression is unreadable and he's wondering how much of that Louis believes. After all, Louis did say he didn't believe in curses. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Louis looks up surprised. "No, I, uh, I do believe you. It's just weird." Harry makes a weird little hum to show he agrees. "The other night on the boat the first time you saw Beni since?"

Okay. If Louis wants to talk about Beni and not the weird sand thing, alright. "Yeah. You know, I've been pissed at him for a long time now and for a minute there I really considered killing him, but I couldn't."

Harry's not looking at Louis. Doesn't want to. He knows Louis and the others assume that Harry was in prison for murder, which he wasn't, but that's what they think. And it kind of hurts and he knows that Louis is thinking that Harry really would be capable of killing a man in cold blood. 

Louis's not saying anything though and Harry doesn't know what to make of that. "I only kill when I have to." He can feel Louis staring at him and it's making him uncomfortable. "I still want to hit him, but give him time and the Americans will do it for me."

Louis snorts. "I might do it for you." Huh, interesting and Harry's not sure he was actually supposed to hear it. "Don't like the guy, anyway."

"Not many do."

The mood seems to have lightened a bit and Harry feels better, but it won't last. It never does.

"What about you though?" Harry turns to Louis. He's not looking at Harry, just staring in front of him. "Why were you in the Legion? I mean, you're not French. Not like it was a duty to your country or anything."

Harry doesn't know how to answer, so he gives Louis the same answer he gave Beni when he had asked. "I was just looking for a good time."

Louis laughs hard at that and Harry can't help but smile. "Alright then. Why were you in prison?"

Harry has a feeling that the warden told Louis the answer Harry had given him. "Robbery?" Apparently Harry didn't answer quick enough. "Extortion? Kidnapping?"

Harry's glad Louis didn't offer up murder. "None of the above."

"Why the hell were you there then?"

"I was looking for a good time." Harry smiles wider when he hears Louis laugh again.

"Sure, yeah whatever. Prison is such a good time. I mean, I've never been there, but it looked so much fun while I was watching you hang." Harry can hear the smile in Louis's voice, which only makes Harry's grow. "You'll tell me the truth eventually."

Harry turns and raises his eyebrow. "Really?"

Louis smirks and nods his head. "Yeah, you'll explain to me what you meant by that. You'll have no choice. I can be very annoying."

"Don't doubt that one bit."

"Oi! Now see here, Harold, you should be nice to me. I saved your life." Louis might be able to convince Harry that he's actually offended if he weren't grinning.

Harry rolls his eyes. "It was only to help yourself." He means it as a joke, but it comes out more serious than it should have.

Louis's grin disappears. "Yeah, well..." He's searching for what to say and Harry can tell, but he knows there's nothing Louis could say to that. "Glad it worked out that way. Wouldn't have had the pleasure of your company."

And okay, maybe there was something to say and he can tell Louis' being genuine, which makes him feel really warm inside. He doesn't say anything back. He's not sure he could, so instead he just smiles and turns his head back to the front.

They've fallen into silence again. It's comfortable though and maybe Harry was wrong about how Louis felt about him.

*

He's had everyone stop the camels as they watch the beginning of the sunrise over the horizon. Harry's having a hard time believing he's this close to being in Hamunaptra again. He swore he'd never go back, yet here he is. And the conversation he had with Louis two nights ago did nothing to help. 

"Are we seriously watching the sunrise?" 

Harry looks over to see an impatient looking Niall. "Just wait, will you."

"Styles!" Harry turns his head to see Beni and the group of Americans coming up behind them. "Glad to see you made it here okay!"

"Yeah, sure you are."

When Beni and the others stop to Harry's right everyone looks puzzled. "What the hell are we doing?" Daniels asks.

"Be patient."

To Harry's left, Liam asks, "What are we doing?" Putting an inflection on “are” and leaning towards Harry.

He smiles. "Watching the sunrise." He can hear Louis snort and can almost hear Niall roll his eyes. "Get ready." Harry adds with more seriousness.

"For what?" Louis has brought his camel up to Harry's.

"We're about to be shown the way."

On the horizon various shapes start to float around. Harry knows the others are thinking it's some sort of mirage, but he and Beni know it's not. While he's watching he realizes something that he hadn't the first time. It's actually very beautiful, but it's gone too quickly. The shapes subside to reveal Hamunaptra.

"Oh my god," Louis whispers next to him. Harry looks over at him and smiles at the look of amazement on his face.

"Let's go!" Henderson yells and everyone takes off racing towards the city.

Somehow Harry's ended up leading everyone and it's kind of exhilarating. Racing across the desert to an ancient city that hundreds of people would love to see. He almost forgets why he didn't want to return. Almost. But then he does as Louis is passing by him with a grin plastered to his face and Harry can only watch as Louis's the first one to enter the city.

*

After setting up camp, Harry and the others are working next to a small crevice, which Louis has assured them will take them down into the city.

"Where'd all these camels come from?" Niall asks from his spot on the edge of the hill overlooking the layout of the city. There's dozens of camels roaming around with backpacks and saddlebags still slung over their humps.

Liam gets up from where he was working to go stand by Niall. "Seriously, that's a lot of camels."

"They belong to all the people that died here." Everyone turns to look at Harry and he realizes how creepy he made that sound. "Just you know, lots of armies have been here and what not."

Niall puts a hand up. "Say no more Styles. Really." He walks over to the crevice and bends over. When he does this, he hits the face of Anubis, as Louis had informed them, and yelps, backing away. "That thing gives me the creeps."

"Hey, be nice. That thing saved my life."

Again, everyone turns to look at him waiting for an explanation, which he's not going to give. Louis is the only one here that Harry has told what happened, but he never mentioned that it was in front of this statue. He thinks Louis might know, though, by the way he's looking at Harry. When it becomes clear he isn't going to say anything Louis speaks up. "That thing gets me excited."

"What else gets you excited?" Harry looks up to see Louis blush and go back to messing with the ancient mirror. And really, Louis walked right into that one. He couldn't expect Harry to pass the chance up.

"According to Bembridge Scholars," so Louis was going to completely ignore Harry's question. That's fine. "Inside the statue of Anubis is a secret compartment that's supposed to house the Book of the Living."

"Isn't this the statue?" Niall gestures towards it.

Louis rolls his eyes. "Yes, Niall, but as you can see it's only the head. The rest of it has been buried underground, which is where we're going."

Harry grabs a hold of the rope that's tied to the pillar and throws the rest of it down into the crevice and gets in position. He spares a glance at Louis to see that he is still messing with the mirror. "What's that for, anyway?"

"Ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see." Even without Louis looking up Harry could see that he's smiling.

"Right." Harry shrugs and then lowers himself into the crevice.

*

Harry lights a torch just as the warden finishes coming down the rope, but it does nothing to help them see where they are.

"Do you realize," Louis starts as he lights his own torch, "that we are standing in a room no one has entered for over four thousand years?"

The warden sneers. "Where's the gold?"

Harry walks a little farther into the chamber revealing nothing. "I dunno about gold, but there's plenty of spider webs."

"It stinks in here." Niall's voice comes from somewhere behind him.

"Worse than the camels." Harry can't see, but he's sure Niall is sending a death glare towards Liam.

"Here, hold this." Harry turns around to see Louis handing his torch to Liam. He's standing next to another mirror. He brushes the cobwebs off and repositions it, aiming it at a ray of light shining in from the crevice. The ray of light hits the mirror and quickly shoots around the room from mirror to mirror until the whole chamber is lit up.

"Hey, that is a neat trick." Harry goes over to stand by one of the mirrors to examine it.

"Oh my god." Louis says as he takes a couple of steps into the chamber. His face is lit up and he looks excited. "This is a preparation room."

Liam comes to stand next to Harry. "Preparation for what?"

Louis turns and smiles wider. "For entering the afterlife."

"Mummies. This is where they made the mummies." Niall had come up to stand next to them looking quite sick.

Harry walks forward a couple of steps to stand even with Louis. "Shall we?" He jerks his head towards the passageway. When Louis smiles and nods his head, Harry draws his gun and starts walking.

*

They have been walking down a narrow, cobweb infested passageway for what Harry thinks has got to be close to an hour. They all freeze when they hear something. It sounds like somebody is clawing inside the walls. Harry looks back to see everybody sharing a nervous look and the sound stops. They start moving forward again and even with the three torches they can't see anything.

When they've finally reached the end of the passageway Louis whispers "There it is" and points in front of them.

They slowly creep up to the lower half of Anubis and once they get there they hear the sound from earlier, but it's closer now and seems to be getting closer. The sound seems to be coming from the other side of the statue. Harry gives the others a look and motions to his gun motioning for them to draw theirs. All of a sudden the noise is right on top of them and Harry leaps around the side of the statue coming face to face with the Americans and their diggers. And Beni.

"Fuck, you scared the shit out of us Styles," Henderson says.

"Likewise." Harry doesn't lower his gun. He won't until the others do.

Daniels steps forward a bit. "This is our statue."

"Don't see your name on it."

Beni points his gun directly at Harry's head. "There's fifteen of us and only five of you. Think our odds are better."

Harry grins. "I've had worse."

"Yeah, me too," comes Niall's voice from Harry's right. He gives a sideways glance and can see Niall looking nervous. When he looks back at Beni, he's cocking his gun, which is when Louis steps in between and puts his hand on Harry's arm, gently pulling it down.

"How about we play nice, huh?" He gives Harry a look that means he knows something nobody else does. "There are other places to dig."

*

Harry, Niall, and Liam are using sledge-hammers against the ceiling, while Louis walks around giving them directions. Harry wants to tell him to shut the hell up and help since it was his idea, but he doesn't have the heart to do it because Louis is bouncing around like a child.

"According to my calculations, we should be right under the statue. Once we break through, we'll come up right between his legs."

Niall stops digging for a moment. "You'd like that wouldn't you, Tommo?" Liam laughs so hard he nearly falls over. Louis looks unimpressed. "Anyway, when those dirty Yanks go to sleep-."

"We'll sneak up and find that compartment," Louis finishes. "Assuming they don't find it first. They do have an Egyptologist with them."

Niall looks around the chamber. "Where's our smelly little friend gotten off to?"

Harry glances around to see that, sure enough, the prison warden has disappeared. "Can't say I mind."

Louis laughs. "I don't either. Hopefully he gets himself lost."

*

They're taking a break from digging into the ceiling, not that Louis needed much of one since he wasn't doing anything, but here they are. 

"Let me get this straight, they stick a sharp, red hot poker up your nose, scrambled around your brain and pulled it out through your nose?" Liam asks. Harry had been told by Niall that Liam knew a lot about ancient Egypt, but Liam had been asking a lot of questions, which Harry thought was weird. He had eventually asked about it only to be told by Louis that Liam knows a little, but that it's actually Niall who knows a lot. Harry had been surprised by that and had asked why Niall plays dumb. Louis said that he's been trying to answer that question for six years.

"Ouch." Harry starts rubbing his nose.

"Well, you'd be dead. You're not going to feel it." Louis's smiling widely again and Harry just wants to go over and squeeze him in a gigantic hug. Although, he's not going to because that would be inappropriate, but it's getting harder and harder to resist the urge because the more time he spends with Louis the more he likes him. 

Suddenly, there's a loud cracking sound from above and Harry looks up in time to see the part of the ceiling they were digging crumbling. He grabs Louis to pull him out of the way and Niall and Liam are diving towards the wall and a large stone casement drops to the floor causing dust and sand to fly about.

After the dust clears, Louis starts to approach it. "It looks like a fucking sarcophagus."

"In the ceiling?" Liam questions.

"I don't understand," Niall says. "Why would they do that?"

Louis looks up into the massive hole in the ceiling. "It was buried at the base of Anubis," he says as if it clears everything up.

Harry goes to stand next to the sarcophagus with the others. "Uh, why is that important?" 

Louis looks at him. "Well, he was either really fucking important or did something very fucking bad." He starts clearing the dirt off the top of the sarcophagus, revealing a single hieroglyph.

Niall starts drumming his fingers on the lid. "Well, who is it?"

Louis stares at the hieroglyph and Harry notices the confused and concerned look on his face. "He that shall not be named."

Harry steps forward and starts brushing off a spot in the middle of the lid. His brows furrow in confusion. "It looks like some sort of lock."

"Whoever is in here was never meant to get out." Liam has now come over to inspect the lock.

"Without a key it's going to take a month to-."

"A key!" Louis runs over to where their bags are. "That's it! That's what he was talking about!"

"Who was talking about what?" Liam asks watching as Louis grabs Niall's bag and starts rummaging through it.

Louis isn't going to respond and Harry seems to be the only one Louis had told. "The guy on the boat. The one with the hook."

"Aha!" Louis pulls the small black box that Harry knows Niall stole from him.

"Hey that's mine!" 

Harry looks at Niall. "Technically it was mine. You stole it from me."

Niall goes to grab it from Louis, but he slaps his hand away and unfolds the box. Harry can see that the design of the box matches the design of the lock as Louis sets it in the lock, but before he gets a chance to turn it there's screams echoing through the chamber. Harry pulls out his gun and takes off running in the direction of the screaming, while the others follow.

They run out into the passageway just as the warden runs past screaming and clutching his head. Harry makes to grab him, but isn't fast enough. The warden continues running and slams his head straight into the rock wall and drops to the ground. After he doesn't move Harry and the others slowly approach the man. He eyes are wide open, unblinking. Harry can tell before checking his breath that he's dead.

*

Harry walks over to the campfire that Louis, Niall and Liam are huddled around. It sounds like they were talking about what killed the warden and Harry hates to tell them. He really does, but he has to.

"Seems our American friends had a little problem of their own. Some of their diggers were killed." The three of them whip around to stare at him, wide-eyed. He sits down next to Louis. "It was pressurized salt acid. Some sort of ancient booby-trap."

Niall lets out a tremulous laugh. "Maybe this place is cursed."

There's a gust of wind and the campfire flickers. Harry, Liam and Niall share a nervous look. Louis scoffs and rolls his eyes.

They've had this conversation a couple of times now, but Harry likes getting Louis riled up. "You don't believe in curses?"

"No I don't." He pokes at the fire with a stick. "If I can see it and touch it, it's real."

Harry lifts up his riffle and cocks it. "I believe in being prepared."

Just then Niall lets out a yelp and Harry turns in time to see him pulling his hand out of the warden's bag. Harry can see blood and Niall starts sucking his finger, then reaches back in and pulls out a liquor bottle to examine.

"Glenlivet. Twelve years old." He pulls out the cork easily enough as Harry can see the neck of the bottle has been broken. "He had good taste." He takes a swig and passes it to Liam.

Before Liam can take a drink they hear a barrage of gunfire coming from the American camp. Harry jumps up and hands the rifle to Louis. "Stay here." He runs off towards the camp.

When Harry gets closer to the camp he sees the horsemen from the other night laying siege to the camp. He can see the American's and the diggers firing their guns and the horsemen firing back. Harry continues running, firing at a couple of riders that get too close. He glances behind him and sees Liam in a fist fight with a horseman. Louis and Niall were right. Liam is good.

When Harry reaches the camp he slams right into Beni who seems to be running away. Figures. He always runs. Harry grabs his arm and keeps him still. "Going somewhere?"

Beni looks nervous. "Just looking for you my friend." Harry doesn't believe him. Has no reason to. "Why do you like fighting so much?"

"Because I look good doing it." Harry lets Beni go when he sees a rider coming up on them. Naturally Beni runs away leaving Harry to fight. 

Harry fires at the rider and hits him in the arm. The man falls off his horse. Another rider comes galloping towards him and Harry barely has enough time to duck out of the way of the rider's scimitar before it cuts off his head. The rider turns the horse around and starts to come back towards him. He jumps up and knocks the rider off the horse and the horse keeps running.

The rider is quick to get up and he starts walking towards Harry with his scimitar in hand. Harry fires his gun, but the rider ducks out of the way in time and then starts running. Harry is backed up against a pillar and when the rider reaches him he brings his hand up to swing the scimitar. Harry instinctively raises his hands to protect his face and the scimitar strikes his gun.

The gun goes flying away and Harry is disarmed. Which is not good. The rider is starting to come at him again and Harry suddenly remembers the stick of dynamite he has in his belt. Harry dives and rolls out of the way and is relieved to see that he was actually able to pull the dynamite out without dropping it. He takes a couple of steps back and thrusts the fuse into a fire.

The rider freezes and lowers his scimitar. "Enough!" So, he's the leader. The rider brings his free hand up to pull the scarf away to reveal his face. He's tanned and his eyes look a deep brown and Harry would probably be very attracted to him under different circumstances. Harry noticed that all the fighting had stopped and everyone's attention was on him and the rider. The rider takes two steps towards Harry. "Leave this place or die."

Before Harry can respond the guy is jumping on a horse and riding off with all his riders following him. Harry watches them leave before he remembers that he's holding a lighted stick of dynamite. "Shit!" He pulls the fuse out and throws it away. 

"See! That proves it!" Harry turns to see Daniels going over to pull Burns up. "Seti's treasure has got to be here somewhere."

"They're protecting it. Of course it's here." Henderson adds.

Harry looks up into the surrounding ridges. "Those men are a desert people. They value water, not gold."

The Americans scoff and walk off leaving Harry to make his way back to his own camp. A little ways away he sees Louis staggering to his feet, looking shaken. He turns around and his eyes meet Harry's, which for some reason seems to freeze Harry. He's not sure what's happening between them and it's a little weird, but also a little pleasant and it doesn't last long enough because Niall and Liam are bounding over.

"You two idiots alright?" Niall asks.

Louis mumbles a yes and breaks eye contact with Harry to turn around and walk back to camp. Liam quickly follows and Niall gives Harry a knowing look before walking off himself leaving Harry confused.

*

"Want another drink?" Harry offers the bottle to Louis who shakes his head.

"Unlike the three of you I know when to say no."

Harry can tell Louis is pissed, but he's got to give him credit. He's lasted longer than Niall and Liam. "You lasted longer than the Irishman."

Louis giggles. Fucking giggles. And scoots closer to Harry. "'Course I did."

Harry smiles. Drunk Louis is nice entertainment. Louis is nice in general. "You know, I am sorry about that kiss." Wait. What? That's not what he was going to say. Why did he say that? He must be drunker than he thought.

Louis giggles again. "I don't really consider that a kiss, but your apology is excepted."

Thank god. Find a way to change the subject. Harry lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a swig. "You never did tell me why this is so important to you." That's good. Very good.

Louis sighs. "Well you see, Egypt is in my blood. Only not really, but it is." He somehow manages to scoot closer to Harry and now their thighs are touching and Harry might be dying. "My father was a famous explorer and he loved Egypt a lot. My mother did quite a bit of exploring Egypt herself. They met here."

"Okay," Harry draws it out until Louis looks perturbed. "I get your father and your mother. I even get those two," he gestures to where Liam and Niall are passed out, "but I still don't get you."

Louis looks very insulted and stands up quickly swaying a bit. "Well, look I may not be an explorer, or a treasure hunter, or a gunfighter Styles, but I am proud of what I am."

Harry looks up at Louis. "And what is that?"

Louis grins and proudly lifts his head. "I am a librarian!"

Oh that's cute. Harry can imagine Louis wearing his glasses, restacking books and wow. Louis plops back down beside him and leans in very close and looks him in the eyes. Harry can finally see just how blue they really are.

Louis breathes out very loudly. "I'm going to kiss you, Harold."

And Harry really really wants him to, but they're also both drunk and he's not sure what that means. "Only if you call me Harry." Why did he say that?

Louis gives him a goofy grin. "Okay Harry. I'm going to kiss you now." He leans forward and just before their lips touch he passes out, slumping against Harry's arms. Yeah, that would be his luck. An attractive guy is about to kiss him and passes out.

Oh well. Harry positions Louis so he's laying down in what Harry can only hope is a comfortable position and then lays down himself and closes his eyes letting out a long sigh.

*

_"Hey! Beni! Wait up!"_

_He's running through Hamunaptra, being chased by Tuareg warriors and he really hopes that Beni just didn't hear him. "Wait up!"_

_Beni reaches some sort or a doorway and runs into it. He turns around and they make eye contact. "Don't you close that door!" Harry tries to make himself run faster, but it's impossible and Beni is closing the door. "Don't you close that door!"_

_Beni slams the door shut just as Harry reaches it. Harry slams his body into it trying to make it move, but it's not budging._

_"I'm going to get you for this!"_

_He turns and bolts around rocks. He's running for his life, through the ruins of an ancient city. His heart is pounding hard and he can hear the yelling and gun fire from the Tuaregs._

_He reaches a dead end and turns around facing his attackers. He has no ammo, no way to defend himself. He feels like this has happened before. It has happened before except this time the Tuaregs are raising their guns and shooting at him. ___

*

Harry bolts up, pulling out his gun pointing it all around him. All he sees is people sleeping and he's breathing heavily and the dreams are never that bad. They usually always play out the way it happened in real life. The Tuaregs never actually shoot at him.

"You alright there, mate?" Comes Niall's voice from his right. Harry turns to him still pointing the gun. He doesn't answer. Just lowers the gun and tries to focus on evening out his breathing. "Okay, guess you're not alright."

"Just a nightmare," Harry responds.

Niall looks like he understands. "You okay?" Harry shakes his head yes. "Good. Go back to sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Harry doesn't respond. He lies back down and turns on his side to where he can see Louis sleeping a few feet away. He looks peaceful, which is making Harry calm down a bit. He closes his eyes and tries to match his breathing to Louis's.

*

Harry watches as Louis slips the key into the lock and turns it. There's a series of mechanical-like sounds and then the sound of the sarcophagus unlocking. If Harry weren't hung-over he'd probably be happy about this. "Alright. Let's get this lid off." 

The four of them grab the lid. They're all pushing, shoving, and groaning. After a minute they all stop and Louis looks at them pointedly. "I can't believe I let the three of you get me drunk."

Niall looks offended. "Don't blame me. I don't remember being there."

Liam grunts in what Harry can only assume is agreement. "Well, neither do I." Louis snaps.

Harry's heart sinks. "You don't?"

"No. Should I?"

Louis tried to kiss him, but doesn't remember it. Isn't that peachy? "Well, yeah, you told me it was the best time of your life." Harry's trying to cover up his hurt because Niall is giving him that knowing look again. He bets Niall was actually awake the whole time. Harry wants to kill him.

Louis looks confused for a minute, but his face clears and he motions to the sarcophagus. "Shall we lads?" 

They start pushing against the lid and it finally starts moving and falls off causing a loud crash. All four of the grab at their heads and groan.

*

They've gotten the coffin out of the sarcophagus and have it propped against the wall. "I've dreamt about this since I was little," Louis exclaims as he's walking over with the key because apparently this guy really was not meant to get out.

"You've dreamt about dead guys? That a kink?"

Louis shoots him a look and starts brushing off dirt and cobwebs from the coffin. "This is so weird."

"What's weird?" Liam asks. "Because I can think of about a dozen things that are weird about this."

"All the sacred spells have been chiseled off. They were supposed to protect the deceased on the journey to the afterlife. This man was cursed."

Niall comes over. "Can we just see who's inside?"

Louis puts the key into the lock and turns. The lid cracks open with a hiss and they all jump back because of the smell that comes out of it. Harry steps back toward the coffin and grabs the lid. Niall and Liam join him and they start pulling at the lid. Harry's questioning why they're doing this. It's just going to be a dead body.

Suddenly the lid pops open sending the three of them stumbling backwards and a deformed corpse jumps out at them. Niall screams and Harry jumps back again bumping into Louis who rests a hand on his shoulder. Harry would like to hope it was to soothe him, but truth be told it was to stop him from backing any further into him.

Harry takes a couple of steps towards the corpse. It's the ugliest and creepiest thing he's ever seen. "Is it supposed to look like that?"

Louis comes up behind him. "No. I've never seen one look like this." He sounds perplexed. "He's still..."

"Juicy?" Niall supplies.

"Yes. It's almost as if he's still decomposing, which is fucking ridiculous because he's over four thousand years old."

"Hey, look at this." Liam says behind them. When they turn around they see him crouched over the lid of the coffin.

When they walk over Harry can see that Liam is looking at fingernail marks and dried blood. "He was buried alive?"

Louis leans in closer and runs his hand over the marks. "It's a message: Death is only the beginning."

"What in the hell does that mean?" Niall asks standing back up.

Harry starts looking around. "Where's my gun?"

Liam shoots back up. "What are you going to do? Shoot him?"

"If he decides to wake up, hell yeah." Not that Harry thinks that will happen, but he's seen some pretty weird shit here before. Better be safe than sorry.

"Oh for god's sake, you three." Louis says before standing up and walking away.

*

“Hey,” Louis whispers as Niall walks by. Niall stops and gives him a confused look.

“What are you doing in a hole in the wall?”

“Shush. Come here.” He motions for Niall to come in with him. It'll be a tight fit but he needs to do this in private. When Niall gets in Louis realizes that he doesn't know how he should go about this. “Niall can I ask you something?”

Niall looks panicked for a second. “Uh, listen I only borrowed you razor for my face. It was only used there I swear.”

What? “Yeah, alright. We'll talk about that later.” Because honestly what? “I actually wanted to ask you about last night.”

Niall sighs. “Louis I don't remember anything. I passed out.”

He's such a liar. “Right, okay. Only you don't pass out.” Louis has known Niall for years and he has never once seen him pass out because of his alcohol consumption. “But it was about Harry. Or more specifically what Harry said earlier.”

Niall looks like he's having a war with himself before he answers. “Oh well, basically you tried to kiss him.”

Louis can feel his eyes widen as he stares at Niall, who's giving him that knowing grin again. Bastard. “What?”

“You told him you were going to kiss him, but you passed out before you could.”

“Why would I do that?” He doesn't believe him. Niall's just trying to rile him up. Although, kissing Harry does sound nice.

Niall shrugs. “You did drink a lot.”

“No Niall, not the passing out.” After he says it he realizes that being drunk could have been an explanation for it.

“I dunno. You gave some sort of being proud of who I am speech right before. Maybe you were inspired.”

“Inspired? How in the hell would that inspire me to kiss him?”

Niall shrugs again. “Well, I mean, your speech was about being proud to be a librarian, but maybe deep down you meant you were proud of being gay?”

Louis smacks Niall over the head. “Of course I'm proud of who I am, but that is not why I would kiss him!”

Niall shrugs for the third time. “He is fit.” Louis stares at him. “What? I have eyes. Look, there is some very obvious sexual tension between the two of you.” He holds a hand up when Louis starts to deny it. “He kissed you at the prison. I know you don't consider it a kiss, but maybe you want more.”

“Niall shut up. Go away.”

Niall gives him a wink, but walks away. Why would he try to kiss Harry? Okay, yeah, Harry is an attractive man, but Louis feels nothing for him. Nothing. At all. He needs a drink.

*

The two camps have joined together in case of another attack, which makes Harry equal parts nervous and happy. Safety in numbers and all, but these Americans, mostly Beni though, make him nervous. He doesn't trust them.

"Say Styles, whadaya think these will fetch back in the states?" Henderson asks sticking out some sort of gold jar.

Before Harry can give a smart ass answer Burns speaks up. "We hear you all found a nice juicy mummy."

"Think you can use him as firewood?" Daniels adds.

The Americans start laughing as Louis walks up and sits next to Harry. "Look what I found in our mummy's coffin." He shoves his hand in front of Harry's face and sees what appears to be bug skeletons. Louis removes his hand. "Scarabs. They're flesh eaters. They can stay alive for hundreds of years living off one body."

Everyone gives Louis a disgusted look and Niall puts down the food he was eating.

Harry turns to Louis. "Are you saying that he was buried alive and they threw these things in with him? That they slowly ate him?"

"Very very slowly."

"Wasn't a popular guy then, was he?" Niall has resumed eating his food, talking with his mouth full.

"Probably got too frisky with the Pharaoh's daughter." Henderson adds.

"According to my readings, he suffered the Hom-Dai, the worst of all the ancient curses. It was reserved for the most evil blasphemers. In all my research, I've never read of it actually being performed." He throws the bug corpses into the fire.

"That bad?"

"They never used it because they feared it so much. It's written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt."

Harry's brows furrow. "All ten?"

"Yes."

Niall lets out a breath. "So, we're talking frogs, flies, locusts...."

"Hail and fire." Burns adds.

"Sun turning black." Henderson pipes up.

Liam takes a drink from his canteen. "Water turning to blood."

"And my personal favorite," Niall says scarily cheery, "People covered in boils and sores."

Everyone shares a nervous look, while Louis laughs at them all. "Let's just make sure nobody brings the thing back to life, yeah?"

*

Harry doesn't know if he was asleep or not, which is weird because that's something a person should know, but in an ancient city where strange things happen you don't get much sleep anyway. And how much longer does Louis want to stay here? Because Harry wants to leave. Although, when they get back to Cairo he'll more than likely never see him again. So on second thought, Harry's willing to stay here a bit longer. And his thoughts aren't making much sense right now.

He's startled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone's feet shuffling through the sand. He rolls over to face the fire and sees Louis sitting down holding a big, ancient looking book. It's the same one he saw the Egyptologist with earlier.

"That's called stealing."

Louis jumps just a little. "According to you and Niall, it's borrowing."

Harry smiles. "What is that anyway?"

"The Book of the Dead."

"Thought you were looking for the Book of the Living?"

"Yes, but they found this."

Louis continues surveying the book. "You sure you should be playing around with that thing?"

Louis rolls his eyes. "It's just a book, no harm ever came from a book." He opens it and then the fire flickers causing a shiver to run through Harry's body. "Ahm kum Ra. Ahm kun Dai." Louis starts reading and Harry's feeling more and more anxious about this.

He doesn't know what Louis's reading. It's ancient Egyptian, but it doesn't sound good. And again Harry is incapable of stopping Louis from doing something because he just looks so damn happy. 

"NO!" comes the sound of the Egyptologist. "You mustn't read it!"

Louis had already stopped reading and his and Harry's heads shoot upright to see the Egyptologist running towards them. He skids to a stop as a strange, piercing whine comes from out in the desert. Harry and Louis jump to their feet, while the Americans come running out of their tents.

"What the hell was that?" Harry hears Niall ask.

The sound starts again and it's getting louder and closer. Harry draws his gun as Liam and Niall come to stand by them. Suddenly Harry can see a huge wall of locusts swirling into the camp, enveloping everything. Harry grabs a hold of Louis's hand and starts running towards the crevice.

*

The four of them are running down a corridor fighting off locusts.

"Did you see that?" Niall yells at them. "There must've been billions of them!"

Remembering their conversation from earlier in the night, Harry's stomach drops. "That was one of the plagues right?"

Louis scoffs from behind him and Harry's becomes aware that he's still holding his hand, so he lets go. "This isn't a plague." They all stop running. "It's a generational thing.” Louis's gasping for breath, which is causing him to talk slower than he normally does. “Every so many years the locusts of Egypt have a population explosion."

Harry can tell by the look on Louis' face that he's trying to convince himself just as much as he's trying to convince everyone else. Louis takes a step forward and they hear a squishing sound. Liam comes forward and lowers the torch he had grabbed. The entire floor is covered in frogs.

Louis's face looks horrified and Liam just side eyes him. "What about frogs? Is that a population thing too?"

Before anyone can say anything else the ground starts shaking and the frogs take off. The ground in front of them starts heaping up like a tiny volcano and suddenly hundreds of very alive scarabs come out of the sand and start running towards them. Niall screams and takes off running with Liam right behind him.

"Holy shit!" Harry again grabs a hold of Louis's hand again and pulls him away and starts chasing after Liam and Niall.

*

Harry has no idea where he's going and him and Louis have somehow managed to lose the other two, but he's still being chased by scarabs so he's going to keep running.

"Any idea how to lose these things?" He yells back to Louis. When he doesn't get a response he turns his head to see that he's lost Louis now and an overwhelming feeling of dread comes over him and only gets worse when he sees that there's a wall ahead of him and no place to go.

Harry just stops running and turns around facing the scarabs running towards him. He has no idea how he's going to get out of this and he's about to admit defeat when something grabs a hold of him and pulls him to the left. His feet stop touching ground for a minute before he's staggering onto another surface. He looks and realizes that he's been pulled on a pedestal that's separate from the bridge that he had been on. It's another second before he realizes that the scarabs can't reach him here.

He watches the scarabs scurry past and when they're out of sight he turns around to thank his savior and is shocked to see the horseman from the night before. The man is just staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Harry pulls out his gun and points it at the man who in return raises his hands up to show he is unarmed.

"If I wanted you dead I would have let the scarabs get you." He says with a small smile playing at his lips.

Harry goes to rebut but has nothing. He lowers his gun. "What's your name?" The man gives him a bemused look. "You saved my life. I'd like to know your name so I can properly thank you." Never let it be said that Harry Styles had no manners.

The man smiles again. "Zayn."

"Oi! Styles!" Harry turns to see Liam and Niall jogging down the corridor and Niall's wearing a relieved smile. "There you are!"

Harry turns back around to thank Zayn only to see that the man has disappeared. When he turns back around and sees that Louis isn't with them. "Where's Louis?"

Niall's face contorts and Liam's eyebrows furrow. "We thought he was with you."

"Does it look like it?" He gestures around to show that no one else is here.

"You lost Louis?!" Niall looks murderous and before Harry can explain something he doesn't even understand, Niall is leaning over and grabbing Harry pulling him back to the bridge. "I swear to god if something happened to him I will kill you myself!"

"Look, I don't know what happened." Harry spits out. 

Liam steps forward. "Louis is a smart guy. Wherever he is, he's fine."

"Exac-."

"Run, you sons of bitches!" They turn their heads to see Henderson, Daniels and one of their diggers running at them from a hole in the wall. Where'd that come from? "Run!"

They run past and Harry can hear the sound of the scarabs. Niall releases Harry and they join the others. As Harry's passing the digger, the digger trips and falls. Harry slows and is about to go back and help him when the digger is screaming in horror as he's swarmed by scarabs. Harry starts running and runs past the other four who had stopped to watch the digger be eaten.

He runs into a chamber and sees Louis standing with his back against the wall. "There you are!" He says as he runs up to him. "Will you quit playing around? We gotta get out of here!" He grabs Louis's wrist and starts to pull, but Louis doesn't budge. Harry sees fear in his eyes and turns to see what he's looking at.

"Whoa!" And he wasn't expecting that. It's the corpse from the sarcophagus, but he's standing upright and has eyes. Harry jumps back and draws his gun. The corpse is staring at them, unmoving and Harry sees something moving around on the floor behind him. He focuses on that and can see that it's Burns gripping his mouth and eyes and he's letting out little whimpers that signals he's in pain.

"Will you stop disappearing on us?" Liam's voice comes from the entrance. Harry doesn't look but he hears Liam and the others gasp when they see the corpse.

The corpse glances at the others and then back at Louis and Harry. Suddenly, it unhinges his jaw, his skinless mouth stretching, and lets out a horrific, primordial shriek. Louis whimpers and Harry jumps back grabbing his gun and fires at the mummy who falls to the floor unmoving. Harry grabs Louis and starts running again with the others following.

*

They've gotten back outside and the locusts seem to have disappeared, but when the turn a corner they come face to face with about ten of the horseman and their guns causing Harry and the others to freeze. Harry sees a figure coming out of the group and recognizes him as Zayn from earlier.

"I told you to leave or die, you refused and now you may have killed us all." Zayn looks pissed and nervous. "You have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more than four thousand years."

"Relax, I got him." Harry says stepping forward a bit.

Zayn looks even more murderous than Niall did earlier. "No mortal weapons can kill this creature. He is not of this world."

Liam steps forward to stand next to Harry. "We talking about the same thing? The walking corpse? 'Cause Harry got him."

Zayn scowls and motions at a couple of the horsemen. They start dragging someone towards them. Harry notices at the same time as Henderson and Daniels that it's Burns. His eyes are missing.

"You bastards!" Daniels says coming forward to grab Burns.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Henderson asks.

Zayn looks annoyed. "We saved him before the creature could finish him off. Now leave before he finishes you, as well."

"You're not going to kill us?" Out of the corner of his eye he sees Louis elbow Niall in the stomach.

"We must now go hunt him down and try to find a way to kill this creature before he consumes the Earth."

Zayn starts to walk into the temple with the horseman following. "I told you, I already got him."

Zayn spins around and comes to stand directly in front of Harry, looking him in the eyes. "Know this, this creature will be coming for you. He must consummate the curse. And until he does, he will never eat, he will never sleep, and he will never stop."

With that Zayn turns around and heads into the temple.

"Well, uh, I think maybe we should head to back to Cairo. Maybe." Harry turns to see Niall already heading towards the camels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading.  
> I'll have chapter three posted sometime in the next two days.


	3. A Curse in Cairo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches POV a couple of times.  
> Also, I apologize in advance for my poorly written action scenes.

They've been arguing since they got back to Cairo last night and Harry is not showing any signs of changing his mind. And that pisses Louis off to no end. He watches as Harry pulls his trunk from under the bed and throws it on the bed pulling it open. He walks over to the closet and opens it, then turns to Louis.

"I thought you didn't believe in this stuff?" He questions turning back to the closet and grabbing a handful of Louis's clothes. He walks back to the trunk and dumps them in, then turns and walks back to the closet. Louis's not having this; he takes the chance to take the clothes out of the trunk.

"Well, having an encounter with a four thousand year old walking talking corpse tends to convert one's views." He snaps as he's stuffing his clothes back into the closet. When he turns back around he sees Harry dumping more clothes into the trunk.

"Forget it, we're gone. Out the door, down the hall and gone."

"No we are not." Louis goes back to the trunk and takes the clothes out.

"Oh yes we are." Harry's raising his voice, which is only making it deeper somehow and Louis really shouldn't find this attractive. At all. They have major problems to deal with.

"No we are not. We woke him up, and we must stop him."

"We?" Harry looks exasperated. "What we? I didn't read that book. I told you not to play around with that thing."

Louis sighs. "Alright then, me. I read the book and I intend to stop him."

Harry's angrily throwing books into the trunk now. "How? You heard that Zayn guy! No mortal weapons will kill this thing!"

Louis grabs the books out of the trunk and sets them on the bookshelf. "Then we're going to have to find an immortal way."

Harry throws his hands up and then back down resting them on the side of the trunk. "There goes that we again. I'm not involved in this."

Louis picks the last couple of books out of the trunk and slams the lid shut down on Harry's fingers. Harry yelps and starts pacing around the room inspecting his hands. He'd feel bad if Harry wasn't being such a prick.

Louis starts pacing behind him. "According to that Book, once this thing has been reborn, his curse will spread, and as he grows in strength so does the curse and it will infect everyone until the whole planet is destroyed."

"That's not my problem!" Harry exclaims.

Louis yells back, "It is everyone's problem!"

Harry spins around and points a finger in Louis's face. "Listen mate, I appreciate you saving my life, but when I signed onto this, I agreed to take you out there and bring you back and I did. We're even now. End of job, end of story, contract terminated!"

Louis tries to hide how truly hurt he is by Harry's statement. He thought the nature of their relationship had changed over the week and a half they spent together. They had gotten closer and he'd just assumed that Harry was his friend. Kind of wanted more than friendship if he's being honest. Harry does not sound like a friend right now. Or anything else for that matter. "Is that all I am to you? A contract?"

Something flashes in Harry's eyes that disappears too quickly for Louis to make out. "You can either tag along with me or stay here and try to save the world."

"I'm staying."

Harry's face hardens. "Fine." And he's storming out slamming the door as he goes. After a minute Louis lets out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and goes to put the suitcase up.

It's not like he expected Harry to jump right into whatever plan he can come up with, but saying that Louis was just a contract was a little harsh. Sure, Louis had started out the whole thing with his preconceived idea of who and what Harry was. He'd been wrong, though, and had seen that. Harry is actually a really great guy and Louis may not be in love with Harry, but he thinks that if given a little more time he would be. There's definitely already something there that Louis feels for him.

However, he doesn't have time for his drama with Harry. He has to find out how to save the world. 

*

Harry angrily strides through the door of the Casbah. He stops to look around for familiar faces. All he sees at first is drunk men, but then he spots the back of Niall's head at the bar. When he gets there he sets a hand on his shoulder and squeezes making Niall jump a bit. Every one of them have been jumpy. When Niall sees that it's Harry he relaxes.

"Tell me, has Louis always been so stubborn?"

Niall snorts into his drink. "You bet your ass."

"Where's Liam?"

"Said he was going to the toilet." Niall shrugs. "Listen mate, if any-."

"Styles!" 

Harry turns around to see Winston Havlock dressed in his British World War One fighter pilot gear staggering over to him. "Winston! How's it going?"

"I'm the last of the Royal Force still stationed here. All the other laddies died in the air and were buried in the sand." At least they don't have to deal with a cursed mummy, Harry thinks. He sees Liam come over and sit on Niall's other side. "Ever since the Great War, there hasn't been a single challenge worthy of a man like me."

"Well, we've all got our problems today, don't we Winston?" Harry sees Niall start snickering.

"I just wish I would've chucked it with the other lads," Winston continues. "Gone down in the flame of glory, instead of sitting here, rotting from boredom and booze." Before they have a chance to respond Winston walks away leaving them to their thoughts.

Harry has got to find a way to get Louis to come with him. There is no way that Louis can figure out how to kill this monster. The only thing that he'll accomplish is getting himself killed, which is something Harry doesn't want to think about and won't. He knows Louis feels guilty, but there's nothing he can do.

"I bought a ticket for Louis too." Liam speaks up. "I know he wants to stay here and try to fix this, but I was hoping we could convince him to go back to England with us."

"I don't think that's happening." Niall sighs.

"Fuck this." Harry turns to see Henderson and Daniels coming up to the bar. "The damn boat doesn't leave until tomorrow." Henderson signals for shot glasses.

"How's your friend?" Liam asks.

Daniels laughs angrily before responding. "His eyes and his tongue were ripped out. How do you think?"

They all pick up their shot glasses and clink them together. Harry slugs it down and instantly spits it out as he can see the others doing. It tastes metallic.

"What the fuck?" Niall asks, examining his glass. "That tasted just like-."

"Blood." Harry finishes. He turns to see that the water in the fountain that's in the middle of the room is now red. He drops his glass to the floor where it shatters causing the others to turn and stare at the fountain.

Harry takes a step forward and hears Niall. "And the rivers and waters of Egypt ran red and were as blood."

Things just got a hell of a lot worse and Harry is suddenly panic stricken at the realization that the creature is here. "He's here." Before the others can question him, he's running out the door because he has to find Louis.

*

"Louis! Louis!"

He can hear someone calling his name and it sounds a lot like Harry, but he's still mad. Instead of responding, he goes back to reading his book while strolling through the courtyard, trying to find a way to fix this mess he created. 

Somebody grabs him from behind and he jumps, but calms when he sees Harry appear in front of him. "We've got problems."

Only it's not calming. Harry looks like he's about to pass out from his nerves. Louis actually didn't think it was possible for someone to look like this and Harry always looks so calm in a crisis. This can't be good. He's about to say as much when there's a loud crash of thunder and then the courtyard is hit with a barrage of hail and fire.

Harry grabs Louis and pulls them under one of the eaves just as a wooden trellis catches on fire. People are running everywhere trying to avoid dying, which is making Louis wonder why Harry isn't trying to get them to safety.

"He's here."

Louis's confused. "Are you sure?" How could Harry possibly know that?

Harry gives him an incredulous look and gestures out to the hail and fire. "Yeah." Okay, sure. Louis sees that now. Sure.

Louis is about to suggest that they take cover somewhere a little safer when the hail and fire stop and everything is dead quiet except for a blood curdling scream coming from the living quarters directly above them.

Harry pulls his gun out and takes off running up the stairs. Really need to start carrying my gun, he thinks as he follows after Harry.

*

Louis recognizes this as Burns's quarters as him and Harry rush into the room, while a servant runs past them screaming. Harry skids to a stop and Louis, being distracted by the servant, runs into his back. He draws his attention to where Harry is staring. Burns, or half of him, is lying dead on the floor. It looks as if all his organs have been drained. Louis might be sick.

He hears a loud moan and notices the mummy standing on the far side of the room. Harry points his gun at it and Louis wants to know why he isn't shooting, then he remembers that it's not going to help. So why have the gun at all? He turns his attention back to the mummy and realizes that he's regenerating. 

A thick skin is forming over what appears to be new muscle. His tendons ripple and his bones are bulging and reforming. And then it all stops. He looks like an incredibly muscular, corpse-like vision from hell, which is scary enough, but then it turns to face them, his attention on Louis.

"We are in serious trouble," Harry says as he's backing them back towards the door.

The mummy starts rushing towards them and Harry shoves Louis back towards the right and he bumps off the wall. He stands and watches as Harry opens fire only for the bullets to rip straight through the mummy's body. The mummy just continues going towards Harry because of course the bullets aren't affecting him. He's going to die today.

Louis hears a commotion coming from the door and he turns to see Niall, Liam, Henderson, and Daniels frozen. When he looks back he sees Harry throwing his gun aside because he's out of bullets or that's what Louis thinks is the reason. Who knows with Harry. He steps forward and throws a right hook, hitting the mummy in the face; his hand going straight through. He watches Harry struggle to pull it out and when he does the mummy's face degenerates and decays right down to the bone. That's somehow more sickening than what it was before.

The mummy picks Harry up and throws him towards the door. Louis' eyes follow Harry flying through the air as he knocks into the others, all falling to the ground. Louis hears the mummy moving and turns to see it walking right towards him. He backs up only to hit the wall. That would be his luck. No place to go. He's going to die. Fantastic.

"Uh, help." He mumbles, sparing a glance at the door to see that the others are still recovering. And then the mummy is touching him. It's grabbed a hold of his arm and Louis really hopes he wakes up from this nightmare soon because it's gotten way too vivid. 

Louis then hears the sound of a piano, which is weird. Who would be playing the piano at a time like this, but it's got the mummy's attention. They all turn their attention to the piano and see a white cat. Louis assumes it's Burns's cat, but assuming has gotten him into trouble lately, so who knows. The cat hisses at the mummy and the mummy shrieks. The balcony doors blow open as the mummy spins into a blast of wind and sand and swirls out the door and disappears.

Louis lowers his arms that was protecting his face and looks towards the others, who all look as horrified as he feels. 

"This isn't fun anymore." Niall mumbles.

They all turn and stare at him in disbelief. Liam smacks him across the back of the head. "It was never fun."

"I think I know where we need to go." Louis says. He starts to walk towards the door then stops and motions towards the cat. "Somebody grab the cat and put it in my quarters." Louis would like to say it's because he doesn't want the cat to be homeless now that it's owner is dead, but it's not. The mummy seems to be afraid of it and if that's the case, Louis wants all the cats.

*

After dropping the cat, who Harry insisted they call Snowball, off at Louis's living quarters, Louis is leading everyone through the Cairo Museum of Antiquities.

"There's only one person I know who could possibly give us some answers." Louis may not be that fond of Dr. Bey, but the man does know a lot. He wouldn't be the curator if he didn't.

They round the corner of the entrance to the Ramesseum and Dr. Bey comes into view and he's talking to the guy that Harry referred to as Zayn. Everybody stops and Louis can hear several "You!"'s coming from behind him.

Everyone behind Louis draws their guns and he has to fight the urge to roll his eyes. Guns aren't going to help right now. He can see that Zayn is scowling and Dr. Bey nods his head.

"Mr. Tomlinson, Mr. Horan. The rest of you."

"What is he doing here?" Liam asks nodding toward Zayn.

Dr. Bey takes a step forward. "Do you really want to know or would you prefer to just shoot us?"

Every one behind Louis tenses up before Harry uncocks his .38. "After what I just saw," he puts his gun back into his shoulder-holster and everyone else follows suit. "I'm willing to go on a little faith."

Everyone walks further into the Ramesseum and settles around a tomb display. Dr. Bey climbs up onto the chariot and sits on the throne. Of course he would sit there. "We are part of an ancient secret society called the Medjai. For over four thousand years we have guarded the City of the Dead. We were sworn to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world."

"And because of you, we have failed," Zayn added with scorn.

"And you think this justifies killing innocent people?" Louis is appalled. People were killed that night the Medjai attacked their camps.

"To have stopped this creature?" Dr. Bey asks. "Yes!"

It doesn't help, but whatever. They have bigger problems. "Why was he cursed?"

"He killed Seti the First," Zayn says in a way that makes Louis think there's a hell of a lot more to this story.

"Okay, lets skip passed all that." Harry steps forward addressing Dr. Bey. "I've got a question. Why is he afraid of cats?"

"Cat's are the guardians of the underworld. Imhotep will fear them until he is fully regenerated and then he'll fear nothing." Good thing Louis thought to have them grab the cat. Bad thing that they don't have it with them.

"And you know how he does that?" Louis had almost forgotten Daniels was here. "By killing everyone who opened that chest."

"Yes, his organs are in the Canopic jars that were in the chest. He needs to collect them to be fully regenerated." Dr. Bey is looking less and less comfortable by the minute.

Harry turns to Daniels and Henderson. "Okay, who all was there when you opened it?" 

"Aside from the two of us," Henderson points between him and Daniels, "there was Burns and the Egyptologist."

"How about Beni?"

Daniels snorts. "Nah, he ran out of there before we got a chance."

"Sounds like Beni." Harry turns back to Zayn and Dr. Bey. "Another question, why is he so transfixed on Louis?"

That's a good question. Why hadn't he thought of that? Everyone turns to look at Louis. Zayn comes forward. "Who read the incantation that resurrected him?"

"Oh, um, yeah. That was me." Whatever Dr. Bey is about to say cannot be good for him.

"He needs to collect the Canopic jars, which house his internal organs."

"We know that part." Daniels interrupts. "He's going to kill us and regenerate."

Dr. Bey nods. "Yes. There is a way to kill him we have found." This doesn't sound like he's answering the actual question and Louis is getting antsy. "There is an incantation in the Book of the Living that will do it, but it can only be done by the person who read the incantation that arose him. And he's going to stop that from happening"

"Does that mean he knows Louis read it?" Harry asks looking more serious than Louis has ever seen him. And again, turn on, but no.

"Yes." Dr. Bey looks sullen. 

"He's had two chances to kill Louis. Twice." Niall says looking frightened. "Why hasn't he done it?"

"Because he has to sacrifice him." Louis's stomach drops. "There's a ritual that he must perform, which requires being in Hamunaptra and for Imhotep to be fully regenerated."

"The ancient Egyptians were nuts," Niall mumbles. 

"Well, that buys us a bit of time." Everyone spins to look at Louis. He's been quiet through the whole conversation. The prospect of dying has suddenly made Louis a bit more perspective. When Harry opens his mouth to say something, Louis holds up a hand to stop him. "Look, he needs to fully regenerate, which he can't do if we keep him from getting you two," he points at Daniels and Henderson, "and the Egyptologist. That'll give us enough time to find the Book of the Living, which I'm sure you two," he points at Zayn and Dr. Bey, "don't know where it is because that would be too damn convenient if you did." 

Dr. Bey nods. "It was supposed to be where you found the Book of the Dead."

"Well it wasn't there." Liam snaps.

"No it wasn't." Harry walks towards Liam. "But Louis's right. We do have time to figure this out. And we will."

Louis knows Harry is trying to sound sure, but he's not convincing anyone. And it makes Louis a little more nervous that Harry's nervous.

"Lou," Louis turns to see Niall walking towards him. "The next time you come up with some bright idea to go to a cursed city I'm staying home."

Louis can't help but laugh. Niall looks so serious, more serious than he's ever looked in his entire life which means that Niall honestly thinks that they're going to make it out of this alive. That Louis will make it out of this alive.

The room goes dark and Zayn walks to the center of the room to look up at the sky light. After seeing him grimace they all walk over and look up. The sun has gone dark, into a full eclipse.

"And he stretched forth his hands towards the heavens, and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt." Niall lets out an exasperated sigh. "Let's just kill this son of a bitch."

*

They're in Louis's quarters now. Liam and Daniels are pacing the foyer, making Louis more anxious than he was already and that's saying something.

"We have to find the Egyptologist," Louis starts, "And bring him back here. The longer we keep the three of you away from Imhotep the longer we have to figure out how to kill him."

"We know how," Liam says. "We just need to get you the Book of the Living, wherever the hell that is."

"Right." Harry turns away from the window he was staring out of. "Louis, you stay here. Daniels, Henderson come with me."

"Oh now wait just a minute!" Henderson pounces. "I'm not going out there."

"I'm not either." Daniels adds. "That thing is after the two us."

"Who exactly put you in charge, Harold?" Louis stands and takes to steps towards him. "You can't just leave me here. This is my fault and I-." Before he has a chance to finish Harry is walking towards him and lifts Louis up carrying him into the bedroom. He'd normally be turned on by the fact that Harry can so easily lift him, but Harry's doing this to keep him here. Major turn off. "Put me down!"

Harry does just that and rushes out the door slamming it shut just as Louis reaches it. He grabs the knob just as he hears the door lock. Damn it. Curse doors that lock on the outside. He starts pounding on the door, yelling for someone to let him out.

When it appears that no one is going to do that he stops and puts his ear to the door. He can barely make out Harry telling Daniels and Henderson to stay and for Liam and Niall to come with him. Damn Harry. Louis is the cause of this mess he should be the one out there fixing it, not Harry. What if something happens to him? Or Niall and Liam? Louis would never forgive himself.

Louis doesn't want to think about that, so he's not. Instead he grabs a couple of books and sits on the bed. He's going to figure out where the Book of the Living is.

*

Harry throws open the door of the Egyptologist's expecting to see the Egyptologist. Instead, he sees Beni is ransacking the place. Stuff is everywhere. Papers are flying about. Beni tips over a bookcase and Harry looks at Niall and Liam, who look just as confused as Harry feels.

"Well, well, well." Beni spins to face the three of them. He looks a little terrified, which makes Harry a little happy. "Spring cleaning?"

Beni turns and runs for an open window on the other side of the room, but Harry's too fast. He grabs a chair and flings it at Beni. He lets out a yelp as the chair hits him in the back and he falls to the floor. Harry strides over, grabs him and lifts him up against the wall. 

"Where's your new buddy?"

"What friend? You're my only friend." 

Harry rolls his eyes. He should have taken care of Beni a long time ago. He pulls his knife out of his belt and holds it under Beni's chin.

"What the hell are you doing, being buddies with this creep? What's in it for you?" Knowing Beni there has to be something.

"It is better to be the right hand of the devil, than in his path." Beni glances over at Niall and Liam, who have their guns pointed at him. "As long as I serve him, I am immune."

"From what?" Liam asks.

"You shall see."

"What are you looking for?" Niall asks.

"Remember I can tell when you're lying," Harry says as he shoves the knife deeper into Beni's skin.

Beni's starting to sweat. "The book! The black book they found at Hamunaptra. He wants it back. Said to me it would be worth its weight in diamonds."

"What's he want the book for?"

Beni does his best to shrug. "I don't know. He just said he wanted it. And your boyfriend."

Harry tries to ignore the rolling his stomach does over Louis being referred to as his boyfriend. He looks over at Niall and Liam, which is a mistake. Beni seizes the moment and knees Harry in the stomach causing him to drop him. Beni runs over to the window and jumps out before Niall and Liam can react.

Niall comes over as Harry is still trying to recover. "That looked painful."

Harry winces. "Every time I go somewhere with you I get hurt."

"Yeah, I do that to people."

And that's when they hear a blood curdling scream coming from outside. The three of them run over to the window and look out to see people screaming and backing away from a shriveled up corpse.

"Is that...?" Liam trails off. They know. It doesn't really need to be said.

Then a man in black robes that had been kneeled over the body, reaches over and grabs a jar out of the Egyptologist's hand. The man stands up and turns towards the window.

"Of fucking course," Niall says.

Imhotep looks up at them. He smiles, then unhinges his jaw, stretching it to an inhuman size, and a huge swarm of flies comes out of his mouth and races straight up at the window. They jump out of the way and Liam slams the window closed.

The three of them look at each other, panicked. 

"That's two down," Harry says.

"Two to go," Liam adds.

"And then he'll be coming after Louis," Niall says as he turns to race out of the room.

Liam turns to look at Harry. "Was it a good idea to leave Daniels and Henderson with Louis?"

"Probably not." Harry turns towards the door and runs after Niall. Of course it wasn't, but for some stupid reason he thought it would protect him. He might have been wrong. Hopes he wasn't, not only for Louis's sake, but for his own. He cares about Louis and doesn't want anything to happen to him, but also, Louis is the only one that can stop this.

*

He must've fallen asleep because the doors are flying open and a four thousand year old mummy is standing beside his bed. He lets out what he is sure is a manly scream and rolls off the other side of the bed hitting the floor with a thump. 

He can't see what's happening, but he hears Harry- that must be who broke through the door- say "Brought a friend for you!" He hears a cat hiss and Imhotep screeches. Louis hears the windows blow open and the sound of Imhotep doing that sand-wind thing, that Louis finds only slightly inpressive, and then everything gets quiet.

He slowly gets to his knees and peeks over the bed to see Harry, Liam and Niall. Harry's handing the cat to Niall. "You okay?"

“Little shaken up, but I'll be okay.” Harry looks exasperated and glares at Niall, who only shrugs in return.

Louis shakes his head yes. "Where's the others?" He stands up and walks around the bed.

Harry doesn't answer, only looking down at his feet. This can't be good. From the door Liam says, "He got the Egyptologist while we were distracted by Beni."

"Beni?"

Harry looks back up. "Yeah, he's been helping Imhotep this whole time." 

With the small amount of interaction he's had with Beni and with what Harry has told him, he isn't surprised by that. Harry turns and walks out of the room into the foyer. Louis and the others follow him.

When they get in there Louis sees a shriveled body. "Which one is that?"

Niall walks over to get a closer look. "Henderson."

Harry has now walked towards the door. "Come on. We need to find Daniels."

Louis raises an eyebrow. "So I can come this time?" When Harry nods in response, everyone walks towards the door. "After we find him we need to go back to the museum. I've had an idea."

*

Liam has just explained to Dr. Bey and Zayn what happened, when Louis steps forward and addresses Dr. Bey. "Last month I came across an inscription that mentioned the Book of the Dead."

"The book we found at Hamunaptra?" Daniels asks.

"Yes. I dismissed it at the time because it was talking about bringing people back from the dead, which I didn't believe."

Harry snorts from behind Louis. "Shoulda listened to it."

Louis turns on him. "Yes, well, who knew that-."

"If we do not fix this, Imhotep is going to bring upon us the next apocalypse."

Louis turns to stare at Zayn. Party pooper. "Right." He starts walking and Dr. Bey catches up with him. "I'm hoping that the inscription mentions something about the Book of the Living and I just missed it before."

They're up the stairs and Louis jogs towards the display cases. Just as he opens the one he needs there's a loud chanting coming from outside. They all rush over to the window and see a mob covered in hideous boils and sores. They seem to be in some sort of trance and Louis makes out that they're chanting "Imhotep".

"Ah, my favorite plague," Niall says. Louis can't tell if he's being serious or not and that's always sort of been a problem with Niall.

"He's gotten stronger," Zayn says from beside him.

Louis runs back to the display case. "The inscription I was reading said that the Book of the Living was buried under the Statue of Anubis, which is actually where the Book of the Dead was." He pulls out a large stone tablet and carries it to the nearest table. "So I'm hoping they just mixed up where the books were buried." There's a loud bang that sounds like the mob breaking through the front doors. Louis pays no attention to it, instead keeping all his attention on the tablet.

"Uh, Louis," he hears Liam say. "You might want to hurry."

"Patience is a virtue." There's more banging and the sound of glass breaking.

"Not right now it isn't," Harry responds.

"Uh, I think I'm going to go get the car started," he hears Niall say.

Translating the tablet would be a lot easier if people stopped talking. "If the Book of the dead was inside the statue of Anubis then according to this, the Book of the Living should be inside..." Louis trails off. Aha! He's got it. "The Book of the Living is buried inside the statue of Horus." He stands back up and immediately everyone starts running.

From behind him he hears Dr. Bey say "Horus is very close to Anubis."

Harry groans. "We really do have to go back, don't we?"

Louis turns his head and smiles, but quickly stops when they reach outside and see Niall driving the car up being chased by a mob.

"Get in! Get in! Quick!"

*

Louis is cursing Niall for buying a convertible with a broken top. "Anything to save a pound" Niall had said. Fuck that. They're driving aimlessly through the streets of Cairo as people keep jumping on the car. They keep fighting them off, but more and more keep jumping on and it shouldn't be this easy for these people to jump on a speeding car. 

Several things happen at once. Louis punches a guy that's trying to choke Niall causing Niall to swerve the car. Harry shoots a guy and blood splatters all over Louis. Daniels, in his attempt to stay upright as the car swerved, falls out of the car.

"I can't stop or we'll be swarmed."

Louis knows Niall is right, but hearing Daniels terrified screams are almost enough for him to say "Screw it. Lets save him". Almost. It'd be suicide.

"Shit!"

"What?"

"I'm running out of gas." As Niall says this a man jumps on the car punching Niall in the face, which causes Niall to lose control of the car and they slam into a wall.

Harry grabs Louis. "Come on. We've gotta run!"

They leap out of the car, only to realize that they're trapped. There's a wall behind them and the mob is surrounding them. They've stopped moving at them, and they are making room for a bald headed man to walk through.

"It's the creature." Zayn says. "He's fully regenerated."

Damn. He was kind of attractive Louis thinks. Whoa, where'd that come from? Never again. He sees Beni stepping out of the crowd coming to stand next to Imhotep.

Imhotep sticks out his hand toward Louis. "Koontash dai na."

"Take his hand," Beni translates. Louis knows what he said, but the others don't and he's not in the mood to play know-it-all. "And he will spare your friends."

Louis doesn't believe that, but right now it's all he has. He looks towards Harry. "Any bright ideas?"

"I'm thinking," he says through gritted teeth.

Louis looks back at Imhotep who is still holding his hand out. "Think of something." And then he takes a step towards Imhotep raising his own hand.

"No." Harry comes forward and stands in between them with his back facing Imhotep. "You can't do this." 

He looks scared, which is making Louis want to say "Okay" and hug him. Unfortunately for both of them they don't have the luxury. They also may never have the luxury, which only dampens Louis's mood more. And that's really stupid because that shouldn't be something he's thinking about right now, what with the world about to end and all.

Zayn steps forward putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Let him. It's the only chance we have. You don't and we all die right here."

Harry looks like he's having a war with himself, but he eventually backs away leaving room for Louis to go with Imhotep. Louis was really hoping he wouldn't have to hold his hand, but Imhotep won't put it down, so Louis grabs it just as Beni walks up to Niall and sticks his hand in his jacket pulling out the key.

"Hey!" Niall exclaims. "That's mine."

Liam holds Niall back from putting up a fight and Imhotep starts walking. "Pared oos."

"NO!"

"Kill them." Beni translates and Imhotep pulls him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for reading!!!


	4. Back to Hamunaptra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter. It's all Harry's POV.
> 
> Again, I apologize in advance for the poorly written action scenes.

Harry's not entirely sure how he's supposed to react as he watches Louis try to break free of Imhotep's grip. The mob has just been ordered to kill them, so he should probably fight back, but all he wants to do is chase after Louis.

Fighting. Fighting is the best decision. The crowd is slowly coming towards them and he needs to come up with a plan. He takes a step back and notices the difference in the ground. He looks down and sees a manhole cover. That's convenient.

He bends over and pulls it open helping Niall and Liam jump inside. Zayn refuses help and seems to land on his feet. Curse him. All that's left is himself and the curator who has pulled a sword out of nowhere and is fighting off the mob.

"GO! Leave me and kill the creature!"

Harry really wants to help the guy, but he needs to help Louis more. After shooting one last glance at the curator he jumps into the manhole landing in a sewer.

*

Harry kicks the sewer gate out of the wall and climbs out into an alley. Cocking his gun, he looks around to make sure the coast is clear. When determining that it is he motions for the others to come out.

When everyone is out into the alley, Harry whispers "We have to get Louis."

"I'm with you mate, but I think it's for different reasons."

When Liam finishes talking Niall makes a choking sound obviously holding back a laugh and Zayn just looks confused. Harry sends a scowl Liam's way and turns towards Zayn. 

"How long do we have once they reach Hamunaptra?"

Zayn shakes his head quickly. "Not much. We have to save your friend. He is the only person that can stop this."

"That's a little hard to do when we're days away from Hamunaptra and they got a head start." Liam snaps.

He's right. They're going to need to be quick about this.

Zayn looks unbothered. "Since he's regenerated, Imhotep can now cross the desert with great haste."

"Lucky for us I have the perfect solution."

Liam whips around to look at Harry. "You do?" When Harry only smiles, in response Liam says "Well, let's get moving."

He spins around and starts walking towards the end of the alley, with Zayn right behind him. Harry turns to see Niall grinning.

"You know, since I met you weird things just keep happening to me." A lot of things have happened to him since these people came into his life.

Niall's grin grows wider. "I have that effect on people, mate."

*

Harry's exhausted. He hasn't slept in two days and he wants out of this car. For the past hour Liam and Zayn have been having a passionate discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of camels and horses. Harry uses the word discussion lightly, since the two almost came to blows when Zayn said that horses were more visually appealing than camels.

"Is that it?" Niall asks.

Harry looks up to see that they've gotten to the Erfoud Dunes. They're passing abandoned Quonset huts and then he sees it. A single World War One biplane. Beside it stuck in the ground is a sign that reads "HIS MAJESTY'S ROYAL AIR CORP".

"Yes it is."

*

"So, what's your little problem got to do with his majesty's Royal Air Corp?" Winston asks after they've got done explaining their predicament.

"Not a damn thing." Harry responds, which only makes Winston more intrigued like Harry knew it would.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Probably won't live through it." No point in sugarcoating it.

Winston's eyes widen. "By Jove, you really think so?"

"Well, everyone else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Niall responds.

Winston nods his head. Harry knows they got him. "What's the challenge then?"

"To rescue the only guy in the world that can kill this monster."

A slow grin spreads across Winston's face and he gives them a snappy salute. "Winston Havlock at your service!"

*

The wind is whipping at Harry as he sits in the gunner's compartment. Winston is in the cockpit droning on about some story that Harry was never listening to. Niall and Liam are strapped spread-eagle across the left wing. Niall is screaming in fear and Liam looks like he's going to be sick. Zayn is strapped similarly on the right with the biggest smile on his face.

Harry looks down and notices that the sand below them is getting closer and he's going to ask Winston why he's lowering the plane when Harry sees that the sand is actually coming at them from the bottom and the side.

"I've never seen sand do that before!" Winston yells back at him. He throws the throttle and the plane goes into a dive. "Hang on!"

Harry can see that the sandstorm is getting closer and is about to engulf them and this is weird. A giant face starts forming in the sand. And yes, that makes sense. It's Imhotep's face ginning. The bastard can control the sand.

Harry grabs the machine-gun and cocks the bracket, firing away at the face. All that happens is the face begins to laugh, then the jaw unhinges, mouth opening wide. Harry braces himself for impact as the wall of sand engulfs the plane.

*

The plane smashes over a dune and rolls over, crashing upside down into another dune. The sand swirls a bit as Harry falls out of the gunner's compartment, hitting the ground with a thump. Harry stands up to see Liam doing the same.

Zayn appears from the other side of the plane. "You okay?"

Zayn smiles. "That was my first plane ride." He walks over to the gunner's compartment and rips the machine gun off its mount throwing it over his shoulder with the cartridge belt. "And probably my last."

"Excuse me," comes Niall's voice. "A little help would be useful....If it's not too much trouble!" He yells the last part. 

Harry looks over to see him still hanging upside down on the plane wing that's jammed into the dune. Liam goes over and unstraps Niall, who falls to the ground, every curse known to man coming out of his mouth. Harry walks over to the cockpit to see Winston dead, a small smile on his face.

The others comes to stand next to him. Niall sighs. "At least he was happy."

Harry nods. "Yeah." Harry gives a salute. "Let's go save the world, shall we?"

*

"Question," Liam's voice startles Harry. "There's more to Imhotep's story isn't there?" That's a good question that Harry meant to ask a long time ago.

"Yes." Is all Zayn says.

"Care to share then?"

"He was Seti's high priest. He betrayed Seti by having an affair with Seti's mistress. The two of them then killed Seti. Both were killed immediately." Zayn is talking very gravely about the subject, which is causing Harry's mood to lower even more.

"What about the girlfriend? Was she cursed too?" Niall asks.

"Yes, but it was not the same curse. She is not a threat." That seems odd to Harry, but who is he to question them. "Unless Imhotep has plans to resurrect her." Zayn adds.

"He does." They all turn their attention towards Niall. " I mean, that could explain why he was having Beni look for the Book of the Dead."

Harry narrows his eyes. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Niall shrugs. "Didn't know he had a girlfriend."

And yeah, Harry supposes that's true. None of them did.

"He will not try to resurrect her until he has dealt with Louis," Zayn says.

“The ancients were a little curse happy weren't they?” He doesn't really want to ask. Out of the four of them he knows the least.

“Only when they needed to be.”

“And when was that?”

“I do not know, my friend.” Zayn's sulky. Harry wonders if he's ever happy.

“Like I said,” comes Niall's voice, “the ancients were nuts.”

Nobody says anything back to that and they fall into silence as they see Hamunaptra off in the distance. This'll be fun. Louis better be able to kill this thing.

*

"Okay, so let's just assume I don't know what this Horus guy looks like." They're carrying torches, guns out as they make their way down a long, winding staircase into the necropolis. Back in Hamunaptra. Again. Harry's third time here. Lord help him.

"He's a big fellow with pointy ears and a face like a falcon."

Harry turns to Niall and smirks. "You know a hell of a lot more about this sort of stuff than you let on, don't you?"

Niall just shrugs. Maybe he doesn't get Niall like he thought.

"Oh damn." Harry turns his attention to Liam who's standing in front of a collapsed doorway. He looks distraught. Harry can't really blame him. This is going to take forever to dig out. Liam turns to Zayn. "Are you sure this is the only way?"

Zayn shakes his head. "This is the only way."

"Guess we better start digging." Harry sticks his torch in the sand and starts pulling at rocks.

"I did not sign up for this." He hears Niall say. "If we save Louis, I'm going to kill him."

Harry snorts. "Yeah, just make sure he kills Imhotep first." 

Niall's laughing keeps Harry smiling.

*

"How long do you think we've been digging?"

"Well, Liam I'd say it's been about long enough to get half way through this."

Liam sighs and goes back to digging. Harry doesn't blame Liam for being annoyed. Niall has been no help at all. He claimed he was "too delicate" to do this kind of work, so he'd just been standing behind them telling them how they're doing it wrong. It was only after Zayn threatened to cut his tongue out did he shut up.

Now Niall is walking around behind them chattering about something, but Harry doesn't have time for Niall. He doesn't really have time for anything other than saving Louis, which also saves the world. So Niall can fuck off. Only not really because Harry actually likes Niall.

"AHHHH!"

Harry, Liam and Zayn whip around to see Niall screaming and freaking out. "It's in me! The fucking scarab is in me!"

Harry runs over to Niall and rips his sleeve open to see a scarab burrowing up his arm. He whips out his butterfly-knife, snapping it open and grabbing Niall's arm. When Niall sees the knife his eyes go wide in terror and starts screaming louder. Harry sticks the knife under his flesh, cutting his arm, and flicking the scarab out.

The beetle hits the floor, turns and starts scurrying back towards Niall. Harry pulls out his gun, aims and shoots, blowing the bug to bits.

Harry turns back to Niall, who looks like he's about to pass out. "From now on, you don't touch anything. At all. Not a damn thing."

*

After getting Niall patched up and finally digging through the wall, Harry and the others are squeezing their way through a small crevice that smells like piss and really this isn't the worst moment of his life, but he would love to be out of this.

He almost gets his wish immediately when he takes a step and falls through a hole in the floor. He hits the ground with a loud thump, dropping his gunnysack and torch. He sits up and rubs at his back, then hears Liam say something. He looks up and barely has enough time to roll out of the way of Liam jumping down, followed by Niall and Zayn.

Harry stands up grabbing his gunnysack and his torch, when something glittering catches his eye.

"What is this place?" Liam asks.

Harry notices a shaft of light shooting though a small hole in the ceiling on the other side of the room. It stops against the wall right next to one of the mirrors Louis had showed them. If he could find a way up there and shift the mirror it would light the place up. But how is he going to do that? His gun. Yes, that's it. He'll use his gun. He's got good aim. Great actually.

He picks his gun off the floor where it landed when he fell, aims at the mirror and fires. To no surprise of Harry's, the bullet strikes the mirror's pedestal, spinning it into the shaft of light. Harry tries to watch as the light hits the mirror and bounces around the room lighting up the whole chamber.

Now, this is a surprise. The room they are standing in is an enormous treasure chamber, almost overflowing with the wealth of ancient Egypt. Harry is speechless. It appears that Niall is not.

"Holy fucking god." He's walking around the room, wide-eyed gesturing to everything he walks by. "Think of how much this is worth." He turns to Harry. "Do you think we could stop here on the way home and pick up some stuff?"

"I wouldn't be opposed to it," Harry laughs.

Zayn gives them a serious look. "This treasure belongs to the people of Egypt."

"We're about to save Egypt," Liam starts. "We're actually about to save the fucking world. I think the people of Egypt can spare a little of their wealth." He's giving Zayn a challenging look.

Zayn looks like he's willing to argue until they both die and Harry doesn't want to hear this and is about to tell them to argue later because they have bigger problems to deal with when a loud noise from behind them has them all spinning around and pulling out the guns.

They all groan when they see five mummified bodies coming at them.

"Who are they?" Harry asks as the mummies walk closer.

"Priests," Zayn informs them. "Imhotep's priests. They do not matter."

"Alright then." Harry quickly puts his hand gun in his shoulder holster and pulls his elephant gun out of his gunny sack. He aims at the closest and shoots, blowing it's upper torso completely off. He pumps the gun, sending a huge cartridge flying at Liam's face, who artfully ducks it. Harry fires again and blows a second mummy in half.

The others take out the three remaining mummies. Except not really. The legs of each mummy are continuing to walk towards them, completely unaffected by the loss of their upper half. A few days ago Harry wouldn't have believed this, but he does now. "Give me a break," he mutters as he sees the upper halves of the mummies are crawling towards them.

"What do we do?" Niall asks as they start to back away.

Just then a dusty breeze blows into the chamber. The floor where they had just been standing starts to move. The four of them just watch as four more mummies slowly dig their way out of the floor. Weird scratching sounds and moaning starts filling the chamber. They look around to see mummies coming out of the walls all heading towards them.

Harry lifts the elephant gun once more, but Zayn puts a hand on it, lowering it.

"My turn," he says with a smile while opening fire with the machine gun.

He's blasting the hell out of the mummies, but they keep coming towards them. Harry, Liam and Niall join Zayn, firing their guns at already dead bodies, while backing out of the room with the mummies following.

*

After getting halfway down the passage, the four of them abandon shooting the mummies and start running. They run around the corner seeing even more mummies.

"The whole place is alive!" Liam yells while firing his gun.

The rest of them follow suit and after a moment Zayn's machine gun stops firing. "I'm out." 

He throws the gun down and they all take off running down another passage that quickly enters into a small chamber. Harry can see the lower half of a giant statue.

"There he is!" Niall yells. He runs up to the statue, with them following quickly behind. "Hello Horus old boy."

Harry glances behind him to see the mummies coming down the passageway. "How do these things know we're here?" 

"Imhotep probably heard you shoot the mirror," Liam answers. "Or the bug. Whichever. Doesn't matter."

Harry doesn't bother to respond. He reaches into his gunnysack feeling around until he finds a stick of dynamite. He pulls it out when someone taps on his shoulder. Harry turns his head to see Zayn.

"Allow me."

Harry hands Zayn the dynamite and match and watches as he lights the match against the statue. Zayn lights the dynamite and throws it down the passageway. They all run behind to the other side of the statue to take cover.

The dynamite explodes with a loud bang and Harry hears the ceiling and wall cave in. Hopefully killing the mummies. Of course that means that there's only one way out now. A dark, creepy passage on the other side of the room, but he'll worry about that once they've found the book.

*

Harry, and Niall this time because Niall knows what he's looking for, are digging away at the seams of what they hope is the secret compartment. This better be it or he has no clue what they're going to do. This was their last hope. They're lives depend on this. Louis's life depends on this.

The compartment starts to give and that's when they hear the sounds of mummies coming down the clear passage. Harry looks up.

"These guys just don't quit, do they?"

Zayn grabs Harry's elephant gun and a handful of shells and starts running towards the mummies.

"Keep digging!" He yells as he disappears into the dark.

Liam sighs digging through Harry's gunnysack, pulling out his second elephant gun and a handful of shells. "I'm going to help him." And with that he runs into the darkness.

Niall and Harry stare at each other until they hear gunfire and then go back to pulling on the seam. The compartment starts to loosen and it's about to give, when Harry remembers what happened the last time.

When the Americans were doing this they're diggers were killed by salt acid spraying out. There's a very good chance that it will happen again, but he continues pulling. It's their only hope. 

Something hard and icky feeling grabs his ankle and pulls him away. He rolls over on his back and sees three mummies. Two having just finished pulling themselves from a hole in the floor. He starts kicking, trying to free himself when he sees a mummy walking towards Niall, who is still pulling on the compartment, seemingly oblivious to what's going on.

"Uh, Niall," Harry calls. "We've got company."

Niall turns around just in time for the mummy to grab his neck and start choking him. While Harry is fighting off his mummy he sees the third go towards the compartment and start tugging at it.

An intense burst of acid sprays out of the seam and hits all three of the mummies, getting Niall's in the back causing it to let go of Niall. The mummies start melting and Niall and Harry just watch.

When they've melted away completely, Niall looks at Harry and grins. "Lucky they showed up when they did or we'd be the melted goo on the floor."

Harry laughs as he stands up. "Let's just get this book and get this over with."

When Harry gets to the chest he rips the lid of, reaches inside and pulls out a heavy burlap bag. Him and Niall exchange nervous, excited looks. Or at least that's what Harry assumes his face looks like.

"This better be the right damn book." He reaches into the bag and slowly pulls out a solid gold book that's causing golden light to reflect off their faces as they stare at it in wonder. "This is it right?" He looks up at Niall.

"Yeah, yeah that's it." He's quickly shaking his head yes, eyes wide.

"Here, you hold this." Harry thrusts the book at Niall, a look of confusion crossing his face. "Your job is to get that to Louis."

He doesn't wait for a response, grabbing his bag and starting to walk towards the passage that Liam and Zayn are fighting mummies in. He freezes. Probably not a good idea to go through there, but there's no other way.

"Should we help them?" Niall has come to stand beside him, both staring into the dark passage.

Harry's having an internal war with himself. Liam and Zayn need help - that much is obvious - but the world also needs saving. If him and Niall go in there, there's a chance they might not make it out. Harry sighs turning to Niall. 

"Listen Niall, I know they're are friends, but-."

"They knew what they were signing up for and saving Louis so he can save the world is more important," Niall interrupts raising an eyebrow.

Harry shakes his head. "Yeah, yeah."

They stand in silence for a moment before Niall chuckles. "Right, now how are we going to get out of here?"

Harry reached into his gunnysack and pulls out his last stick of dynamite, holding it in front of Niall's face. "This." Niall's mouth turns up into a wide grin. 

Harry lights it and throws it against the far wall and runs to take cover with Niall behind Horus. "That's our last one. We better get lucky." Just as he reaches up to cover his ears, the dynamite explodes sending debris flying around. 

When the smoke clears, him and Niall stand up walking towards the wall to find that there is a hole for them to get through. He turns to Niall.

Niall looks at him, smiling. "Looks like we got lucky."

"Yeah, let's just hope the luck continues." With that he takes off towards the hole.

*

Harry's watching around a corner and down into the chamber. Imhotep is standing, holding the Book of the Dead and reading some incantation in ancient Egyptian that Harry doesn't understand. There are mummified priests kneeling around in a circle around him, chanting. And in the center is Louis. He's chained to an alter. Harry's eyes go back to Imhotep, who is still chanting and thank god none of them have noticed Harry peeking around this doorway.

"Let me the fuck go, you motherfucker!" Harry's eyes snap to Louis, who's trying to break free of the chains. Harry lets out a sigh of relief. When him and Niall had gotten here Louis wasn't moving and Harry had immediately thought the worst, but Louis is still alive. Louis is alive. They need a plan.

Harry spins around to face Niall. "We need a plan."

Niall looks up from where he's been examining the gold book. "We need the key."

The key. Right. Imhotep has it. "Then that'll be part of our plan." Harry starts pacing, making sure to avoid the doorway. "Okay, we need the key and we need Louis. Alive. Imhotep has the key. I'm assuming that's in his robes."

"We need to hurry." Niall is peeking around the corner now. "If I'm translating this right, he's almost done and is about to kill Louis." Niall turns back around looking solemn. "What do you want to do? Go in guns blazing?"

"Normally, I'd say yes, but all those guys down there are dead. And one has the ability to do god knows what."

"We need a distraction."

"A distraction! Niall you're a genius." Harry walks over to stand next to Niall. "You need to distract Imhotep long enough for me to fight off those mummies and to free Louis."

Niall turns to Harry, alarm evident on his face. "I thought my job was to get the book to Louis?"

"It still is, but we can't do that if he's chained to an alter surrounded by mummies." Niall nods his head in agreement. "Take the book with you, distract Imhotep, try, no, do get the key and when I free Louis take him the book and I'll hold off Imhotep. Hopefully long enough for Louis to do whatever he needs to do."

"Right. Distract the bad guy. I can do that." He nods his head and then turns back the way they came. There was an entrance to the chamber on the lower level that will get him closer to Imhotep. Before disappearing down the hall he turns back around. "Be careful Harry."

He says it with so much sincerity and he actually called him Harry. He wants to cry, but he doesn't do that. Instead he goes up to Niall and hugs him. Niall hugs back with just as much force.

"You too you little Irish bastard." Harry lets go and Niall laughs hysterically and walks away.

Harry gives Niall a few minutes before quickly and stealthily running down the stairs and hiding behind a giant statue. The statue has some sort of sword on it that Harry grabs. He's watching Louis struggle to break free and spitting out every insult in the book, but he suddenly stills and goes quiet. Harry trains his eyes to Imhotep to see him holding an ancient sacrificial knife.

Where is Niall? Just as Imhotep raises the knife over Louis's chest about to plunge it down - and just as Harry is about to give up on Niall and storm the place - Niall comes running into the chamber, stopping about two yards away from the scene.

"I've got it, Louis!" He shouts holding up the book and beaming. "I found it."

Louis and Imhotep both looked equally surprised. Imhotep lowers the knife and sets it down on the alter next to the Book of the dead and turns towards Niall. That's it. Go after him. 

"Shut up and get me off of this damn thing!" Louis yells, starting to struggle again.

"Yeah, can't do that," Niall responds as he turns and runs with Imhotep following.

Harry jumps out from behind the statue and starts running towards the alter. 

Louis turns towards him and his eyes widen. "Harry thank god." He sounds relieved and Harry wishes he could feel the same, but Imhotep has stopped following Niall and shouts a command to the priests. It's probably to kill him. That's fine. He's prepared. Maybe.

The priests stand up and turn towards Harry and attack. He starts swinging the sword, cutting off heads and upper bodies, which of course isn't stopping them, but it's the best he's got. He glances at Louis who has stopped struggling and is just sitting there looking annoyed as hell. And yeah, that's Louis.

"I need the key Louis!" Comes Niall's voice from god only knows where.

"It's in his cloak!" Louis shouts back and Harry can hear him rolling his eyes.

Harry's made his way over to the alter and swings his sword down at one of the chains making a loud clanging noise. The chain breaks free and Louis brings his left arm up to rub at his wrist. 

He then looks at Harry and smiles, but it's gone as soon as it came and he's back to looking annoyed. "It's about god damn time you got here."

Harry's about to respond with "Just adding a bit of drama is all", but something grabs his legs and pulls him down. He drops the sword and it hits the floor with a clang. Harry can see the mummy is only the upper body and is climbing it's way up Harry's body.

"Uh, Louis I don't know what to do!" Niall yells again. "What do I do?"

"If there's an inscription on the cover, read it! It's worth a chance." Louis yells back. Then he turns his attention back to Harry. "Are you just being dramatic again or are you really going to let a half dead corpse get the better of you?"

Leave it to Louis to be cracking jokes, but contrary to what Louis thinks, this thing is really strong and he's got more coming at him. He punches the mummy right in the face, which surprisingly makes it let go of him. Harry kicks the thing off him and rolls over grabbing the sword and standing back up.

"Ebarra im hatu Kashka," comes Niall's voice. And wait, Niall can read ancient Egyptian? Of course he can. Harry shouldn't be surprised, but when this whole thing is over him and Niall are going to sit down and have a nice coming clean conversation. "Rasheem im Rasheem im Kashka!" 

Everything goes quiet except for the sound of marching. Harry slowly turns towards one of the doorways to see soldier-looking mummies marching towards him. The priests have disappeared and he can hear Imhotep shout what sounds like another order. The soldier mummies walk right up to Harry and stop right in front of him.

"This just keeps getting better and better." He's not sure what to do now and he's feeling compelled to yell in someone's face. So he does. In return the mummy's jaw unhinges and lets out an ear piercing shriek. "I don't think so." Harry shakes his head and takes off running.

He's running to the stairs when a soldier jumps in front of him swinging its sword. Harry deflects it. "Niall do something!"

"If you finish the inscription you can control them!" Louis yells from the alter.

"You've got to be joking!" Niall yells back, his voice thick with disbelief.

"Just finish it you idiot!" 

Harry wants to add "You're the idiot that woke them", but a couple of the soldiers have him against a wall. This is fun. Harry lunges forward swinging the sword violently, cutting one of the soldier's heads off, but another one somehow manages to knock the sword out of his hand and grabs his neck. The mummy starts strangling him, which seems to be something a lot of people want to do to him, and is lifting him off the ground.

Harry's trying, but he's struggling. He's grabbing at the mummy's hand and he's kicking, but he's losing oxygen and this thing is really fucking strong. He can hear Louis and Niall yelling back and forth, but he can't make out what they're saying and he's going to give up because he can't fight this thing off, but he's suddenly being released and dropped to the ground.

When he looks up, he sees the mummy soldiers are walking back to the way they came, which is nice. Good job Niall. When they get out of this he owes Niall a pint. He takes a moment to regain his breath and then he's picking up the sword and walking towards Louis, who is...what is he doing?

When Harry gets to the alter he sees Louis holding the sacrificial knife and is freeing his right arm of the chain. When he sees Harry approaching, he grins. 

"Couldn't wait for you all day." He holds up the knife. "I figured I'd have a go at picking the lock."

Harry's impressed. "Yeah, well I was trying not to die." He shrugs. He's not going to admit to Louis that he's impressed, though.

"I got it!" Niall runs over to them. "I got the damn key." He's heaving and handing the key and the book to Louis who's still perched on top of the alter. "That was the fucking hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life."

"Good thing you weren't too delicate." Harry slaps him on the back and watches as Louis gives them both a bemused look. "Well get to translating." He motions to the book. "Let's kill this moth-."

He's being grabbed from behind and thrown across the room. He hits the floor and rolls a couple of times. When he stops rolling he sees Imhotep coming towards him. Great. 

"Keep him busy!" Louis yells at him.

Harry rolls his eyes as he gets to his feet. He's lost the sword, but at least Imhotep is unarmed as well. Looks like this will be a physical fight. He can do that. 

Imhotep reaches him and punches him right in the jaw sending Harry flying back and hitting a wall. Okay. Maybe this will be harder than he thought. Imhotep is walking towards him again and Harry braces himself. When he's close enough, Harry throws a right hook, but Imhotep grabs his fist and Harry sees the sword now. 

And ow. Imhotep slams his body back into the wall with an ungodly strength and then punches him again causing his head to slam into the wall. He sees stars for a second and then Imhotep is punching him again. Harry can't do anything to defend himself. He's much weaker than Imhotep. At least this is distracting him. Hopefully Louis does whatever it is he needs to do quickly because Harry might die if these punches get any harder.

Imhotep stops punching to say something that Harry doesn't understand. If he lives through this he needs to have Louis and Niall teach him ancient Egyptian. He's punched again and again. And he can barely make out Louis shouting "Kadeesh mal! Kadeesh mal! Pared oos! Pared oss!" And then Imhotep is dropping Harry and backing away in what Harry can barely make out as terror.

Then Imhotep pivots around and starts strutting towards the alter where Louis and Niall have the booked propped up. Harry's trying to stand. Trying to stop him from attacking Louis and Niall, but he's very dizzy and he thinks he sees something coming up from this weird pool thing he hadn't noticed earlier.

He must not be imagining it though because Louis and Niall start watching it and Imhotep has stopped to stare at it. Harry's regained his head and sees a blue fog thing come out of the pool and fly towards Imhotep. It lifts him up and Imhotep is struggling to get free. 

Harry gets to his feet, runs and grabs the sword and runs towards Louis and Niall. They stand there watching as the blue fog disappears and Imhotep falls to the ground. He immediately gets up and turns towards them with a wicked grin. He starts coming towards them and Harry puts himself in between him and Louis and Niall. 

"I thought you said it would fucking kill him!" Harry shouts at Louis.

Louis doesn't respond and that's fine because Harry probably wouldn't respond to that either. What in the world are they going to do? That was supposed to kill him. It was their only chance and they fucked it up somehow. And they're going to die. 

Finally Imhotep makes his way to them and is reaching for Harry, but Harry takes the sword and stabs him right in what he thinks is the lung and shoves him back. Imhotep stumbles back, clutching his chest and falls into the pool.

"He's mortal now." Harry hears Louis say.

They watch as Imhotep's body starts to shrivel up and return to how they found it in his coffin. His corpse slowly starts sinking. Right as his head is about to go under he mutters something, grinning and then his head disappears.

"That was a bit anticlimactic," Niall says. Turning to Louis he asks, "What'd he say?" 

"Death is only the beginning." Louis translates.

Isn't that what he had etched into his coffin? Right, well they'll deal with that in a minute. Harry has a few questions and he kind of wants to pull Louis into a hug or kiss him. Yeah, kiss him. Definitely kiss him. But questions and answers first.

"I don't understand what happened," he says because he has way too many damn questions and he doesn't know where to start.

Louis tilts his head to the side. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No," Niall says, vehemently.

"You idiots," Louis sighs. "The incantation didn't kill him. It just lifted the curse and he became immortal." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which maybe it was, but Harry almost died several times today. He deserves a break.

"But I thought you were the only one who could kill him?" Harry asks. "'Cause I mean, I, you know." He just sort of lifts the sword and gestures to it, hoping it conveys what he's trying to say.

Louis rolls his eyes and Harry wants to hit him. Only not really. He stills wants to kiss him. He actually wants to kiss him more.

"I was the only one who could read the incantation, but after that anyone could kill him," he shrugs. "Kind of wish it was me that killed him though." He's obviously disappointed and Harry's suppressing the urge to wrap him in a giant hug.

"You can kill the next one." Harry meant it in a joking manner, but Louis's face lights up. Actually fucking lights up at the prospect of killing another cursed mummy. That fucker. He's going to be the reason Harry dies one day.

They're kind of just staring at each other and Harry can't figure out what Louis's thinking. His face is impassive and can Harry kiss him now? He needs to stop. Now's not the time, but maybe just a quick one.

"Uh, hate to break up this love fest." Niall is stepping between them causing them both to look at him. "But what in the hell did 'death is the only beginning' mean?"

Louis's eyebrows furrows in concentration. "No idea, but can we get out of here? I need to take a piss and I-."

Louis is cut off by the sound of shifting concrete. They start looking around and see that the walls are descending. Harry turns back to Louis and Niall. "Come on" he shouts and starts running towards the way they came in.

Somehow Niall passes him, but then trips. Harry sees the Book of the Living fall into the pool. Niall starts to run again, but stops, which causes Harry to stop. He turns to see Louis staring at the pool, mouth wide open. Niall runs back and grabs his arm.

"You dropped the, you fucking dropped the book!" He exclaims in disbelief. "We have to get it out."

"No Louis!" Niall starts pulling him away and they start running again as the doorway starts to descend.

*

They run into the treasure chamber as sand starts to pour down on them. They get to the stairs that lead to the hall when Harry notices that Niall isn't with them. Him and Louis turn to see him standing the middle of the room with his hands out. Louis jogs over to him and grabs his hand.

"Can't we just grab-."

"No Niall!"

They run back towards the sinking doorway and Harry shoves Louis in first and then Niall. As he's about to climb through he hears "Styles!" being shouted. He turns to see Beni running through the chamber towards him.

I'm not going to risk my life for him, Harry thinks. But yes of course he is because that's what he does. But first he dives through and then spins around sticking his hand out for Beni as the doorway sinks lower and lower to the ground. Beni reaches the doorway, but it's too late. Harry pulls his hand out and rolls out of the way just as the ceiling is crashing to the ground. Not too upset about the loss. Beni deserves a lot worse.

When he stands up something pushes against his chest, slamming him into the wall. "You reckless son of a bitch!" Louis yells at him. "Had you died trying to save that bastard's life...."

He trails off as the ceiling above them starts to sink. The three of them look up and then at each other before taking off. Harry tries not to smile as he thinks about Louis being concerned for his life.

*

After running through a collapsing Hamunaptra and almost being squished by falling pillars, they safely made it out and are standing at a safe distance away with the stray camels. Harry has a moment where he's wondering if Liam and Zayn made it out. He really hopes they did. As the last pillar falls, Niall turns and walks toward a camel.

"Guess we go home empty handed again."

Harry looks at Louis to find him staring back with a look of admiration and affection. "I wouldn't say that." Because Louis is here and alive and that makes Harry very happy.

Harry sees Louis's eyes look at his lips and then back up to his eyes. Before Harry can close the distance, Louis jumps at him and they're kissing. And Harry doesn't quite believe it, but they are and it's causing his stomach to do back flips and there are fireworks and wow Louis is kissing him. 

He's vaguely aware of Niall snorting in disgust, but he keeps kissing Louis because somewhere along the way during this two week nightmare he fell for Louis. And Louis is kissing him. Except he's not anymore. He's pulling away and when Harry opens his eyes he sees Louis smiling with a slight blush.

"Now _that _was a kiss."__

__Harry wants to respond, but his brain is fried from all the mummy fighting and the kiss. The kiss from Louis. Instead he just smiles. Except he's got a feeling and he has to ask._ _

__"Was that just because I helped you kill the bad guy and save the world and you're going to drop me as soon as we get back to Cairo?" He says it with a smile, trying to pass it off as a joke, but there is a possibility that this will happen._ _

__Louis rolls his eyes and smacks Harry's arm. "Prick." He starts smiling again. "I've really been wanting to do that since what you called a kiss at the prison."_ _

__Harry can't help but laugh at that. Apparently, Louis has no plans to get rid of Harry soon. He wants to kiss Louis again._ _

__"AH!"_ _

__Harry whips around to see Niall clutching his chest and Zayn and Liam climbing off camels right behind him. Thank god. They are alive._ _

__Niall turns around and glares murderously. "Were you trying to kill me? Don't just sneak up on people like that!"_ _

__They're both smiling like idiots and Liam forces Niall into a hug. Niall can't be too mad because he hugs him back._ _

__"Glad to see you two made it out alive."_ _

__Liam releases Niall and rushes at Harry, pulling him into a tight hug. When he pulls back he keeps his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Likewise." He smiles and his attention is drawn to Louis, who lets out a cough. Harry turns to see him standing awkwardly._ _

__Liam's smile grows. "Tommo!" He goes to hug Louis, but Louis snubs him._ _

__"I just saved the fucking world by killing that bastard and you're glad to see Harry? Honestly Liam." Louis rolls his eyes then smiles._ _

__"Actually, Harry killed the motherfucker, but whatever." Niall smirks._ _

__Louis shoots Niall a glare. "Well, sure, but I read the incantation that made him mortal. Harry doesn't get all the credit." He's smiling and Harry wants him to always smile._ _

__Liam shakes his head. "You idiot." And then he's pulling Louis into a hard hug._ _

__"It doesn't matter how it happened, only that the creature is dead." Zayn comes walking over sticking out his hand to Harry._ _

__Harry grabs his hand and is going to shake it, but fuck it. They just saved the world. Everyone deserves a hug, so he pulls Zayn into one. Zayn seems surprised at first, but relaxes and hugs back._ _

__"Couldn't have done this without you, mate." Zayn pulls back and looks like he might actually cry. Harry knows the feeling. "If you ever need someone to put down another mummy, I owe you."_ _

__Zayn chuckles an shakes his head. "No, no. That will never happen."_ _

__"Never?" Harry hears Louis mutter. He glances at Louis to see that he actually looks disappointed. Why is this something that upsets him?_ _

__"Well then I'll just have to repay you in some other way."_ _

__"Holy fucking shit!"_ _

__Niall comes over to them holding a very heavy looking bag. "Look at what's in this." He holds the bag out. Harry, Louis and Zayn peer inside it._ _

__Harry gasps because he was not expecting that. The bag is filled with gold from the treasure chamber._ _

__"There's another one too." Liam says standing next to one of the camels. "How much you want a bet it was that Beni fellow?"_ _

__"Of course it was." Harry looks at Niall. "See, now you aren't empty handed."_ _

__Niall cackles and goes over to inspect the rest of the camels with Liam and Zayn. Harry's watching them as a hand slips into his. It's Louis. He doesn't say anything, so Harry squeezes his hand and Louis squeezes back._ _

__He doesn't try to fight the smile. They saved the world. Of course it was after they're the ones that put it in danger, but it's still a fantastic feeling. But having Louis is better than that and Harry can't believe that this is how his life has turned out. So, he just stands there, Louis's hand in his, smiling at his friends. And he realizes that he never explained to Louis why he was "looking for a good time" and what he meant by it. That'll be a story to tell on the way back to Cairo._ _

__“I think I've had enough of Egypt,” Niall starts. “Think I'm going to go to London.”_ _

__Liam nods in agreement and Harry's surprised that Louis is also nodding. “London sounds like a great idea.” He's got plenty of time to tell Louis that story._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over. Thank you all for reading.  
> And thanks again to Lindsay for putting up with this!


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